Let's Finish This
by WithTheGrain
Summary: Two cases have the entire team working hard. An agent is shot, Abby is held hostage and the man who saves her wants his reward. Amongst all of this, Gibbs realizes that keeping Abby at a distance, doesn't keep her safe, which changes their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: NCIS and its characters are the property of Belisarius Productions and CBS. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Title: Let's Finish This**

**Rated: T**

**Spoiler: None**

**Pairing: Abby/Gibbs**

**A/N:** This first chapter was written for the Gibbs/Abby Shipper Forum weekly Creative Drive for the prompt 'hello again'.

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><p>Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs strode out of the NCIS elevator followed closely by his team of three agents. As they neared the bullpen, he began barking orders. "Ziva, put out a BOLO for Jason Andrews! McGee, get me a location on his cell GPS! DiNozzo, I want everything on this guy from when he was born until now!"<p>

As his team scrambled to carry out his orders, Gibbs grabbed a clean shirt out of his drawer and headed for the men's room. With long strides, he passed the elevator as it opened and Abby rushed out. "Gibbs, I heard someone was shot!" she exclaimed, bringing him to a halt. When he turned to face her, she gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my god! Oh my god, Gibbs!"

Stepping forward, he gripped her by the shoulders. "It's not mine, Abby. It's not my blood."

Abby's eyes were locked onto the large bright red spots that had dotted the chest on his white button down shirt. It was ruined along with his charcoal gray jacket that had blood spatter. Her voice was shaky as she asked, "Who was shot?"

Gibbs lifted her chin so he could see her troubled green eyes. "An undercover FBI agent." His response did nothing to ease the worry and concern evident on her face. "We know who the shooter is and we'll get him, Abbs. Don't worry."

"How close were you to the FBI agent when he got shot?"

"What?"

Abby's voice rose with a touch of impatience. "You have blood all over your shirt, Gibbs! How close were you to the guy that was shot?"

Gibbs just wanted to get changed so he could catch the bastard, and his voice held a note of irritation. "I don't know… two or three feet." He dropped his hands as his mind jumped ahead. "Damn! I need a couple of large evidence bags for my clothes." He had already turned and was headed down the hall again. "Get me those. I'll be in the men's room."

A few minutes later, Abby didn't hesitate as she pushed through the bathroom door and locked it behind her. Gibbs had already removed his jacket and she held a plastic evidence bag open for him to lower the jacket into. Quickly undoing the buttons to his white shirt, he pulled it off his shoulders as she held a second plastic bag open. His red stained white t-shirt followed.

Abby's eyes swept over his bared torso and she felt a lump form in her throat. Her brain shutdown to the point of only one remaining thought.

_Oh god, he is so sexy!_

Gibbs' shoulders were square and muscular. His biceps rounded. His well-toned chest was covered with a smattering of dark silver hair. Abby was mesmerized by the sight as exciting tingles rushed up and down her spine. Unconsciously, she still held the evidence bag open.

Standing in front of the sink, Gibbs turned on the water full force and leaned forward as he started to splash water onto his chest in an effort to remove the blood that had soaked through to his skin. His gaze lifted to Abby's reflection in the mirror. "You can seal and tag that, Abby. I won't have anything more to put in it."

A knock on the solid wood door brought Abby back to her senses, but they both ignored the faint voice that emanated from outside. Abby quickly sealed the bag then used a pen to tag its contents. After dispensing a wad of paper towels, she stepped up beside Gibbs. "Here, let me," she offered softly. As she dampened the towels, Gibbs turned to face her, his blue eyes softening. Willing her hand not to tremble, she gently rubbed at the blood that still covered some of his chest. There was also a light trail of redness that had spread near the top of his stomach.

"Is the FBI agent going to be okay?" Her voice was a mere whisper as she wiped the blood from his skin.

"Don't know. He's in surgery." Gibbs felt a rising in his chest as she touched him. A fresh paper towel glided slowly over his abdomen and he felt his pulse starting to race from her closeness.

But her next words quickly quelled his body's reactions. "Do you want to die, Gibbs?" she asked, her voice louder and stronger. "Because sometimes I really think you do. You think you deserve to die, is that it? Or maybe you think you don't have anything to live for." None to gently, she jabbed a finger into the center of his chest. "If this blood had been yours… right… here, Gibbs, you would be dead!"

His skin was clean but damp as Abby tossed away the last of the soiled paper towels and rested her palms on his chest, feeling his heart beating strong and steady. "I don't want you dead, Gibbs." She lifted her eyes to try and gauge his reaction, but as usual, he revealed nothing. "Tony, Ziva, and McGee don't want you dead. What do you think it would be like for Ducky to have you on a slab in his morgue? You ever think of that, Gibbs?"

His blue eyes blazed under her scrutiny and accusations. "He has a wife, a young daughter, and twin sons that are three-years-old. He has more to live for than I do. I would be more than willing to have taken that bullet."

Abby stepped closer, expecting his protest, but she couldn't hold back from brushing her lips across his collar bone as his chest froze with his last breath. "Then you would be dead and I would be saying goodbye to you," she murmured. Lifting her eyes, she met his intense blue gaze. "You know what the worse thing is about saying goodbye, Gibbs?" Raising a hand, she trailed a finger along his strong smooth jawline. "We would never… ever… be able to say hello again."

Gibbs felt a stirring in his chest as her hot breath ghosted across his skin and her soft breasts pressed against his chest. Her unique perfume invaded his surroundings and her touches were once again threatening his self control. Automatically, his hands fell to the curves of her hips. "Abby, don't make…"

She didn't wait for him to say the rest before pressing her lips hard against his and the stirring in his chest fell to his groin. Gibbs pulled her tightly to him then turned her so she was pressed against the counter beside the sink. He ground his body against hers as she lifted herself onto the edge of the shelf and drew him between her thighs.

A moan came from deep within her throat as his tongue teased her lips then collided with hers to duel and play. She captured his growls inside her mouth as he pressed his groin against her heat. His mouth slipped from hers and he pressed kisses to her throat, nipped her skin, then flicked his tongue out to taste and absorb her essence.

"Gibbs," she moaned, trying to catch her breath. She could feel his arousal and if they hadn't been at work, she would already have his pants pushed down to his ankles and his stiff cock pushed inside of her. "I want you so badly. I don't want to lose you, Gibbs."

He was drowning in a desire that he had kept hidden for the past several years. Only in his dreams had he thought about a moment like this, with his Abby. But this wasn't a dream any longer. His hands were touching the smoothness of her thighs. His mouth was tasting her full sweetness for the first time. And his body was responding to her sounds, caresses, warmth, and softness with an urgency. She had taken him completely by surprise and he silently berated himself for not taking the initiative and doing this sooner. So… so much sooner. His fingers slipped between her thighs and beneath her damp panties.

At his first touch against her slick folds, she whimpered and clutched at his shoulders. "Gibbs," she panted, "if you don't stop, I won't be able to hold back from having you completely… right now!"

Unexpectedly, Gibbs' cell phone began ringing and they both groaned with annoyance. Raising his head from her neck, he lifted the phone to his ear, grinding out between grit teeth, "Yeah, Gibbs!" As he listened, his fingers slipped along the inside of her thigh until his palm rested near her knee. Other than that, he didn't move until he snapped his phone shut. "We got a hit on the BOLO and a location on our shooter," he stated in a low rough voice.

Abby grasped his face between her hands. "Go bring him in and keep yourself safe." Tenderly, she pressed her lips to his for a few brief seconds.

Gibbs gently lifted her to her feet and held her securely round the waist. "Can I come by tonight?"

"Oh… you better," she said with a wide smile. "We have a lot of unfinished business."

With a slow half grin, he stepped back and pulled on his clean shirt. "Business or pleasure, Abbs?"

"I'm sure we'll have time to work out the details of this new venture," she teased.

With a chuckle, he suddenly wrapped an arm round her waist and drew her flush against him. His eyes were dark as he studied her swollen lips. "I think you mean adventure, Abbs," he rumbled before pressing a hard kiss to her lips and then turned her towards the door.

With her hand resting on the handle, she looked back at him. His hair was tousled, his shirt was still not buttoned, and his pants looked quite full in front. "You better pull yourself together, Special Agent Gibbs."

"I'll be able to calm down once you're gone, Miss Sciuto."

Releasing the lock on the door, Abby grabbed the evidence bags. "How do I look?"

Gibbs' eyes raked over her body. One pigtail was askew, her shirt was twisted out of place, and her face had a beautiful glow. His workday couldn't end soon enough. "Like you've been making out with your boss."

"Wow, it's that evident, huh? I've only you to blame," she chided. "Guess I better slip into the ladies room next door." And then she was gone, the door thudding shut behind her.

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><p><strong>AN:** This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I've decided to add a few more chapters. So… TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Two hours later.

Abby rushed into the emergency room at Bethesda Naval Hospital, her green eyes wide and searching. She didn't even see Special Agent Tony DiNozzo as she whisked by him, but he caught her arm and swung her around. "Tony! How is he?"

Her arms were already wrapped around him and he pulled her into a comforting hug. "He's fine, Abbs. Nothing too serious. Just a small wound."

"I gotta see him," she said with urgency.

Tony released his arms and held her by the shoulders. "They're not letting anyone in to see him," he said, his eyes scanning down the corridor behind her. "But he's in the second room on the right. I'll try and create a diversion and the rest is up to you."

Abby reached up and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Tony."

DiNozzo turned to Special Agent Timothy McGee and whispered, "Fight with me, Probie."

McGee gave him a puzzled look. "What?"

"Fight with me!" he hissed.

"Have you lost your mind? I'm not gonna fight you?"

Tony winked at Abby then yelled at McGee, "The hell you're not! You do as I say… Probie!" He gave Tim a rough shove to his shoulder.

Abby started backing away as all eyes focused on the escalating confrontation between the two agents. Soon she was at the head of the hallway and quickly she turned and almost ran to Gibbs' room. A doctor and two nurses were startled by her sudden appearance. "Gibbs?" she called.

One of the nurses advanced on her. "You can't be in here, miss! How did you get in here?"

Abby ducked past the woman only to be confronted by the second one. "Gibbs!" she called again with more urgency.

Gibbs' voice was low and demanding. "Let her through!"

As the second nurse turned aside, Abby rushed to Gibbs' bedside. He sat propped up with his right arm heavily bandaged. A patch of bright red had soaked through the white gauze. "Didn't our talk in the men's room earlier mean anything to you?" Her eyes filled with tears as they swept over his damaged arm. "Does it hurt?" she choked out with a sob.

Reaching up with his left arm, Gibbs cupped her cheek. "It's not that bad, Abbs. I'll be fine." He gave her a small forced grin.

"We need to get you to surgery, Special Agent Gibbs," the doctor interrupted.

Abby looked alarmed. "Surgery?"

"There's some damage to the elbow."

Abby caught Gibbs' blue eyes in a stare. It was his right elbow, his shooting arm, which if damaged too much, could mean the end of his career. The thought was devastating! "Oh, Gibbs," she whispered.

"It's gonna be fine," his words reassured, but his eyes had a worried look. "I've had worse injuries. This will just be another scar."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you wake up," she said, giving his hand a tight squeeze.

"I need you to do me a favor, Abbs. The bullet didn't come from Andrews. There was a second shooter that ambushed us. I need you in the lab, getting me some answers."

"But… but you need someone here with you."

He pulled the back of her hand against his rough cheek. "I need you and my team to get this guy. Will you do that for me?"

A silent tear slipped from the corner of her eye as she nodded. Gibbs crooked a finger and beckoned her closer, until her face was only a couple inches from his. "That's my girl," he whispered before giving a soft kiss to her lips.

Abby stepped back as a surgical prep team came in and rolled the gurney bearing Gibbs away. She watched as they moved down the hall and around a corner before she turned and headed for the exit.

Catching a ride back to the office with DiNozzo and McGee, Abby had settled her mind into full work mode. Gibbs needed her to do her job and he was counting on her to get him some answers. As she rode the elevator down to her lab, she mused that she wouldn't be surprised if Special Agent Gibbs turned up in person once she had some results. However, as unlikely as that was, she felt not only a commitment, but also a deep desire to get some answers for the team so that they could catch the bastard that had shot her Gibbs!

Meanwhile, Special Agents DiNozzo and McGee walked quickly to their desks and dropped their weapons into drawers. McGee sunk to his chair and began typing arduously on his keyboard as DiNozzo stood staring with a lost look in his eyes, at the desk of their team leader.

Glancing up, McGee saw that his partner was deep in thought, a million miles away. "Tony," he said quietly, but after getting no response, he raised his voice, "Tony!"

DiNozzo let his gaze fall to his right. "What is it, McGee?"

"We need to get busy and find out who this other shooter is."

"I know that!" Tony grumped. "You keep looking into Andrews' background. I'm going to go see Abby." Walking past the desk of his absent boss, he headed for the elevator that would take him to their forensic scientist. Even though he didn't expect her to have any results yet, he needed to make sure she was okay.

Tony's feet moved slower as he entered Abby's lab and he saw her bent over a microscope. Not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat and Abby spun with an expectant look that quickly fell to disappointment. Tony stepped forward to stand beside her and she gave his arm a brief hug before turning to her computer. After hitting a few keys, a picture was brought up on the monitor of an empty shell casing. "I was able to lift a partial print and I'm running it through AFIS now."

"Wow, that was fast," he responded.

"But it's not much to work with. Isn't there any other evidence for me?"

Reluctantly, Tony drug his eyes away from the monitor. "Sorry, Abbs, that's all we've got so far. Balboa's team is still at the scene and will hopefully bring back something. I'm going to go interrogate Jason Andrews. I know damn well that he set up the ambush."

"I need to know about the scene, Tony. I need the sketchings and the photos and the measurements." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I need more than just an empty shell casing!" When he put a gentle arm around her shoulders, she let her head drop to his chest. "I need to be there with him."

"I know, Abbs," Tony said softly. "We all do. But he needs us here, doing our jobs. I had Ziva stay at the hospital and she'll call us with any updates."

Abby looked up and brushed away an errant tear. "You did? Aww, thanks, Tony. At least someone is there for him." Stepping over to her keyboard, she brought up the flashing fingerprints of the ongoing AFIS search. "I need more to do or I'm gonna go crazy here."

Tony smiled upon hearing her ask for more. "McGee is doing background on Andrews, whom I'm about to interrogate. Looking into any phone calls he made from his hotel room could be helpful. You have time for that?"

Just then, Special Agent Reese, a probie on Balboa's team, rushed into the lab. "We've got a surveillance tape," she announced, waving a video in the air. "It's from the gas station across the street."

"I don't think that's going to show us much," Tony sighed. "That's quite a distance."

Eagerly, Abby grabbed the tape after giving Clara Reese a small hug. "It's worth a try." Once she had shoved the video into the player, she looked back at Tony. "You still here?"

"I'm going," he said, backing towards the door. The two women were already huddled together and Abby was instructing Agent Reese on running phone records for Jason Andrews. "Call me when you find something," Tony shouted before leaving.

Abby cued up the surveillance video taken from the gas station. The recording camera was trained mainly on two gas pumps, monitoring motorists filling their vehicles. What was in the background of the video, is the only thing that interested Abby; a small shabby motel across the street. Jason Andrews had been holed up in that crappy motel and Abby watched as Gibbs' team pulled up in two cars and moved stealthily across the parking lot with their guns drawn. The picture was from quite a distance, and if she hadn't already known which agents had been involved, she wouldn't have been able to identify them. Thus was the quality and size of the images she was viewing.

Abby watched as the team busted through the door, into one of the small first floor rooms. Several minutes later, Andrews walked out, handcuffed and flanked by Gibbs and McGee. Tony and Ziva followed a short distance behind. They had almost made it back to their vehicles when suddenly Gibbs was thrown to the pavement, clutching his right arm. Instantly, McGee pulled Andrews to the ground while Tony and Ziva sought cover behind the vehicles. They fired their weapons as the other three scrambled for cover. The last look Abby had of Gibbs, was him drawing his gun and firing with one hand as he sank out of sight beside a vehicle.

A short gun fight ensued and Abby was able to pinpoint the location of the shooter. Now all she needed to know is if that was the area where the empty shell casing had been found. From the video, it was obvious that many rounds had been fired, but only one spent brass had been retrieved for her analysis. Abby rewound the tape from where the shooting began and watched it again.

"Wow, he was pretty lucky," a deep voice boomed beside her.

Abby's finger jabbed a key to stop the video as she swiveled to see who her visitor was. "Something I can do for you, Agent Moen?"

Balboa's best agent straightened to his full stature of 6' 3" and squared his shoulders. "Brought you a couple boxes of evidence collected from the scene," he replied and jerked his head to the side, indicating where the boxes sat on another table. "How's Special Agent Gibbs doing?"

Abby didn't like this man, which was unusual, since she liked most everyone. But Agent Moen was a bragger and a show-off, two things she despised in any man. "Haven't heard," she responded coolly and signed for the chain of evidence.

"I'd say he was damn lucky from what that video showed." Moen walked over to the boxes containing the new evidence and Abby's eyes followed him closely. "There's a couple of phones that we found in the trash. They may or may not be of some help to you." His fingers played along the edge of the table. "I always heard that Gibbs had eyes in the back of his head. It's surprising to see him get ambushed like that." He swung around to look at Abby. "Maybe after all these years, he's losing his touch, getting old. How many times has he been shot now?"

Abby vaulted off her seat and stood toe to toe with the man who towered over her. "He's the best agent that NCIS has," she shouted. "He's fearless and determined and…"

Moen started laughing down into Abby's face as he held up his hands and backed away. "Sure is easy to get you all stirred up. You know how I like it when you get feisty." His look was leering and suggestive.

Abby felt a rage boiling to the surface. "Get out of my lab, Moen!" she shouted and pointed at the door. "You are banned from ever coming back in here!"

The agent was shaking his head and chuckling as he turned. "You're not my boss, Abby Sciuto," he stated airily, then as he reached the doorway, he yelled, "Clara! Let's go! We've got things to do!"

Clara jumped from where she had been sitting and observing as quiet as a mouse. Moving swiftly, Abby snagged Agent Reese's arm. "I need her help here," she demanded.

Agent Moen gave an over-exaggerated sigh as he glared at the two women. "We'll see," was all he said before disappearing down the hall.

"I think I better go," Clara spoke unhappily.

"No," Abby demanded and turned the woman back towards her work station. "I really do need your help. Gibbs is in surgery and Ziva is at the hospital, so we're down two agents. I'll clear it with Agent Balboa, no problem."

Reese spoke before Abby could move away. "I thought you preferred to work alone."

"Not today," Abby responded softly and moved towards the new evidence.

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><p><strong>AN:** Please leave a review! To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who has left a reivew, put this story on alert, or added it to your favorites. It always surprises me, the reaction I get to my stories. This is mainly an Abby/Gibbs story, but I've branched out to include the entire team... plus others. Hope you don't mind.

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><p>Tony stood in the bullpen surveying his team consisting of two probies, a forensic scientist, and himself. "Okay, people," he announced, effectively silencing the chatter. "I need to know what you all know so that we all know how close we are to getting this guy."<p>

He saw Abby's hand shoot into the air and he was already expecting her question. "The report on Gibbs, is that he's out of surgery." Abby's hand fell to her side as he continued. "Ziva will be taking him home in a couple hours. I'd like to have good news for Gibbs by then. Probie! What did ya find out?"

McGee and Reese immediately jumped into their presentations, only to look at one another, then at Tony. "McGee, you first."

With the clicker already in hand, McGee brought up a picture and criminal record. "Jason Andrews served ten years for dealing and distributing drugs. Six years in the Illinois state pen and four in Oklahoma. His cellmate in Oklahoma was Scotty Ripolla, aka The Ripper." A photo of The Ripper came up on the plasma. "Ripolla was doing a life sentence for killing an FBI agent. He escaped three weeks ago." McGee brought up Ripolla's criminal record. "He's been suspect in four other murders but it was the last one, fourteen years ago, that he was finally put away for."

Tony studied the information on the screen and spoke softly, "One guess as to who caught him."

McGee showed fourteen year old pictures of the crime scene along with a couple of newspaper headlines. "The FBI knew it was Ripolla, but they couldn't find him. After eighteen months, it went to cold case and that's where Gibbs eventually got a hold of it. Besides working regular cases, he pursued Ripolla on his own time. In the end, the boss took personal time off to hunt Ripolla down. Gibbs tracked him for two weeks in the mountains of Montana. Ripolla surrendered without a fight, Gibbs turned him over to the FBI, and then he went back to his job. For bringing Ripolla in, he was given The Meritorious Service Award, which is probably locked away in some drawer somewhere."

Tony shook his head. "That long ago… he probably tossed it off at the nearest Good Will." Abby's hand was waving in the air, and Tony raised a finger for her to wait a moment longer. "Who was the FBI agent that Ripolla killed?"

McGee shuffled some papers on his desk before grabbing one and handing it to Tony. "Agent MacDonald 'Mac' Sievert."

"What'cha got, Abbs?"

Jumping forward, Abby was more than eager to tie in her findings with McGee's information. "There were three sets of prints lifted from Andrews' hotel room. Andrews, Ripolla, and someone else. I'm still running the unknown through AFIS. The two burner phones that were picked out of the trash, both belonged to Andrews."

"Did you pull the phone records?"

Abby looked at Agent Clara Reese, who only stared at the three in return. "Agent Reese!" Tony barked. "Phone records?"

The young agent physically jumped from Tony's harsh tone. "Yes, Sir… ummm… Jason Andrews bought both phones at the same time. The calls on one were all to his mother and some other woman."

"This other woman have a name?" Tony asked.

Stepping forward, Reese held out her hand for the clicker then brought up a black and white photo. "This is Andrews' mother, Charlotte Murphy."

"Murphy?"

"Her third marriage. Jason's father is Lyle Andrews." A picture of the elder Andrews appeared. "He owns a chain of logging companies in Montana. He has no record and has never appeared in public with his son. I don't think they keep in contact."

"Was Lyle Andrews in Montana at the same time as Ripolla?" McGee asked.

Agent Reese flipped through the file in her nervous hands. "Ummmm… I… don't… know." A heavy silence fell until she came up with the information. "He's been living there for the past twenty-one years."

Tony nodded. "They were there together. What about this other woman that Andrews has been calling?"

A photo of another woman with black hair appeared on the plasma as Reese continued. "Her name is Donna Packard. She's 53 and was arrested once, twenty years ago, for disorderly conduct."

Abby scrutinized the photo and wrinkled her nose. "You think she's his girfriend?"

"Maybe an aunt," Tony offered, "or even someone connected to Ripolla. What's on the second phone, Agent Reese?"

"A dozen calls all to the same number. But I couldn't trace them. Probably another burner phone."

"Did you get anything out of Jason Andrews?" McGee asked.

"Just a bunch of lies."

McGee ran through the information they knew, showing the relevant pictures on the screen. "Jason Andrews turned from dealing drugs to shooting an undercover FBI agent. He and Ripolla were cellmates. Ripolla killed an FBI agent fifteen years ago and was arrested by Gibbs. Ripolla and Lyle Andrews were in Montana at the same time. Then we have Andrews' mother, Charlotte, and this other woman, Donna Packard."

"And a set of unknown prints in Andrews' hotel room," Abby chimed in. "They could belong to the mother, the father, or Packard. None of them have a record, so I won't get any hits on my search if it's their prints."

"Do we know who the shooter was in the parking lot?" Agent Reese asked.

"I'll bet it was Ripolla," Tony answered.

"So far I have nothing on who shot Gibbs," Abby responded and headed for the back elevator. "But I still have more evidence to process."

Tony looked at the two young agents that he was left with. "I want to know the whereabouts of Charlotte Murphy, Lyle Andrews, and Donna Packard. I also want to know if there's a connection between Ripolla and Lyle Andrews." His tone was mellow but demanding. "You two get me those answers."

"What are you going to do?" McGee asked.

"I'm gonna take another run at Jason Andrews in interrogation."

Five hours later, Abby and Clara Reese approached Gibbs' house and were met by Special Agent Ziva David. "Ziva, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Reese," Abby introduced.

"I'm here to relieve you, ma'am."

Ziva took a step forward, and leaned in close to the probie. "It's Agent David. Not ma'am."

Reese tried to swallow and stared back with wide eyes. So far the only agent on Gibbs' team that she hadn't pissed off was McGee. Ziva stepped back and the young agent held out a file towards her. "Agent DiNozzo asked that you look this over. He said it will bring you up to speed."

Ziva took the folder then went into the house with Abby. She didn't speak until they had entered the kitchen. "I do not feel comfortable leaving Gibbs here with her. She is very young." Abby started making coffee as Ziva glanced over the file and added, "Tony just left here a few minutes ago."

"He did?" Abby said as she pulled open a cupboard to retrieve two cups.

"He came to talk to Gibbs… and me." She hesitated before adding, "We think Gibbs may have been the target of the shooting this morning. But Andrews missed and hit the undercover FBI guy."

The cups in Abby's hands clunked to the surface of the counter but she could tell by the look on Ziva face that she was still holding something back. "What else? I need to know, Ziva!"

"We suspect that this guy could have easily killed Gibbs this afternoon in the parking lot, but he wanted to just wound him." She did not feel any unease with telling Abby everything. Afterall, she was a part of NCIS… practically a part of their team.

"But he wants to eventually kill Gibbs." Abby said it as a statement, not a question.

"We believe so. Yes."

This information was worse than Abby had wanted to imagine. Ripolla was toying with Gibbs… making him suffer first. What would he do next? He was definitely being patient and elusive. Ripolla could go after a team member next. Or he could wait for his next chance at Gibbs. No wonder Ziva was apprehensive about the agents protecting their leader. They couldn't risk having an inexperienced agent watching over Gibbs. "Where is Gibbs' gun?" she asked suddenly.

"Abby…" Ziva's voice held a note of warning.

"I know how to use a gun… and even left-handed, Gibbs is a pretty good shot."

Ziva nodded. "Perhaps you are right. It is in the drawer here, at the end of the counter. Gibbs should have it closer to his side."

"I'll take it to him," Abby agreed. "How is he doing?"

"He is in bed, resting." Ziva tucked the file under her arm. "He needs to take his pain medication at midnight. Then he should rest comfortably until morning."

Abby sat down at the table and drummed her fingers upon the smooth wood finish. "What did the doctor say about his elbow? Is it gonna be okay?"

"No damage to the bone. It will heal perfectly, as long as he does not move it."

"Why did it have to be his right arm," Abby mumbled.

Ziva saw the grave concern on Abby's face. "He needs protection. Now more than ever. He cannot defend himself or fire his weapon with any precision."

Abby had been having the same thoughts. "I'll be staying all night, right beside him. There's an agent out front and out back. We won't let anything happen to him."

"What about the agent out back? Who is coming to relieve him?"

It was obvious that Ziva was hesitant to leave, but Abby grabbed her arm and walked her towards the door. "You need a break. Go home. Eat. Get some rest."

Anger flared in Ziva's eyes. "I will not rest until that man… The Zipper… is caught!"

"Ripper," Abby corrected softly.

Ziva waved a hand in the air. "Yes… The Ripper. I will be back in a couple hours."

Abby shook her head. "Not necessary, Ziva. Tony doesn't think this guy will try anything again tonight. And I'm here to make sure that Gibbs doesn't sneak down to the basement," she said with a grin.

Ziva pulled open the door to leave. "I will have a little chat with Agent Reese before I go."

Abby closed and locked the door then returned to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. Quietly she walked up the stairs and entered Gibbs' bedroom. He was lying on his back with the blanket pulled up under his chin. There was a chair already set near the bed, so she lowered herself onto it and sipped her coffee.

Gibbs appeared to be asleep. His breathing was slow and steady. His eyelids remained still and his face looked peaceful. Abby let her eyes roam over his quiet features and she felt a fluttering in her stomach. Those soft lips had kissed hers… finally. Their moment in the men's room had been weighed down with her fear of losing him and his close brush with death. She always felt as though Gibbs had no regard for his own life, as though no one would care if he died. He seemed to always put himself in harm's way, thus the reasons for his many scars. So this morning she had told him plainly that she cared and she didn't want him dead. She wanted him very much alive.

A smile tugged at the corners of Abby's mouth. Apparently Gibbs wanted her as well. He had taken command of their encounter and although brief, it was very intense. His kisses had blown her mind and then when she felt his fingers slide inside her panties… god… she had nearly lost it! Abby squeezed her knees together as the memory of his touch zinged through her stomach, straight to her core. She could only imagine what kind of lover he would be. Probably silent and dominating. She wondered if he had rules regarding the woman's role? Abby had to stifle a giggle at that thought. She could also imagine him being very gentle, as he always was with her. She wondered if he would ever be a playful lover, but at the moment, she just couldn't fathom Gibbs as being playful in bed. But she could definitely see him as being teasing and tormenting and passionate and… amazing! Abby gave a deep sigh and let her eyes drift shut as her imagination conjured up the image of Gibbs giving…

"You gonna share that coffee?" his deep voice rumbled into her thoughts.

Abby's eyes flew open. "You're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, actually," he said as he tried to push himself up into a sitting position. "That coffee smells good."

"Oh! Here!" she responded quickly and pushed the mug into his hand. "I'll go grab another cup." Abby hurried from the room and down the hall only to suddenly turn around and go back to his door. "Are you hungry?"

He smiled. "No. Just thirsty. My throat's a bit scratchy."

"Okay… I'll be right back." She descended to the kitchen with the fluttering once again in her stomach. Nerves were welling inside her at the thought of this new relationship between her and Gibbs. The man had always aroused strong feelings throughout her entire body, with his chaste kisses and strong hugs. And then there were the looks he would give her almost every time they were together. Sometimes she felt as though his eyes were stripping her bare and caressing her hot needy body! On more than one occasion he had turned her knees weak just from a look!

A couple minutes later, she re-entered his bedroom and he appeared wide awake, waiting for her. After resuming her seat, she asked, "How's your arm feel?"

"Like it's been shot."

Abby cringed. "You're not supposed to have any more pain pills for a couple hours. But I can call the doctor if it's…"

Gibbs cuts her off, "It doesn't hurt…. I just hate all these bandages." He looked at his arm with its heavy wrap plus it was strapped to his body in a sling. "I can't do a damn thing! I need to be out there finding that dirt bag!"

"Gibbs…" she whispered, trying to calm him. "You can't be out there. And I know I'm being selfish, but I don't want you out there. Not right now. You have no way of defending yourself."

"The hell I don't!" he growled. Her soft tone hadn't soothed his anger at all. "You see this?" he asked, holding out his left hand. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. Where's my gun?"

Abby felt alarmed at his continued agitation and now he was demanding his weapon. "It's put away for now. You're scaring me, Gibbs."

"Ah, hell, Abbs," he finally said in a gentler tone. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, let her know that his mood wasn't her fault, but he didn't want her to see just how much pain he was actually in. "You know that I hate being laid-up. I'm pissed as hell at this Ripolla guy for putting me here!" he ground out. "I wanna get the bastard!"

"Let Tony and Ziva and McGee take care of him this time," she pleaded. "Please, Gibbs."

He knew she was right and that he really wasn't going to go after the guy. Not now anyway. Ripolla could very well have killed him, but he wanted to make him hurt instead. Gibbs knew Ripolla and Ripolla knew Gibbs. He knew that the NCIS Special Agent hated being on the sidelines. Gibbs knew what the fugitive's next move would be. He would head for the mountains and wait for Gibbs to hunt him down, just like he did fourteen years ago. Only this time, Ripolla probably wouldn't just give up. He wanted payback. He wanted Gibbs' life.

Looking at Abby, Gibbs wondered if he should let someone else chase the bastard down. Was it really worth playing Ripolla's game? He and Abby had had a moment at work this morning. An intense fiery encounter that he had hoped would continue tonight. But now, he was in no condition to show her how he felt. Hell, he couldn't even reach out to pull her in for a kiss. It looked like he had best forget about what had happened between them this morning.

"Can I ask you to do something for me, Abby?" he spoke in a soft voice.

Her brow was still creased with worry and she hoped he wouldn't ask for his gun again. "You know I'll do anything for you, Gibbs."

He gave a small grin, hoping to lighten the mood. "I'm kinda hungry. I think a bowl of soup would be real good right now."

Abby's entire face lit up at his request. "I can do that," she said jumping up. "It'll have to be out of a can. What kind do you want?" Abby felt a surge of relief that his grumpy mood had passed so quickly.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever I have in the cupboard."

"I'll be right back," she said turning and heading for the door, but then she looked back with a teasing grin. "Don't go no where."

Fifteen minutes later, Abby had a tray ready with a bowl of steaming vegetable soup, crackers, and a tall glass of water. As she carried it up to Gibbs, it smelled so good, she figured she would get a bowl for herself after getting him settled. "This should make you feel better," she announced as she walked through the bedroom door. But as her eyes lifted towards the bed, she saw that it was empty. Gibbs was gone!

Abby looked around the room, but of course he wasn't there. Quickly she set the tray down and went towards the adjoining bathroom door, which was mostly closed. "Gibbs, you in there?" she called. No answer. "Gibbs?" Slowly she pushed the door open and found the room empty. Now she became a bit worried. He couldn't have gotten to the basement because he would have had to go through the kitchen. Where would he have gone? Her mind began racing. How many possibilities were there? Could he have left? Did he send her to the kitchen for soup so that he could sneak out?

Abby trotted downstairs again and out the front door. Agent Reese came across the yard towards her. "Clara, did you see Agent Gibbs come out?"

She shook her head. "I haven't seen anyone. Isn't he inside?"

Abby didn't want to alarm her just yet so she answered, "He must be in the bathroom or something. I'll look again. I just thought I would check with you first."

"I would have seen him if he had come out this way," she stated.

"Thanks, Clara," Abby responded and went back inside. Next she went through the kitchen and out the back door where she found Special Agent Moen sitting on the deck smoking. She was startled by his presence and annoyed that he had his feet resting on top of the outdoor table. "Did you see Special Agent Gibbs come out here in the last couple of minutes?" she asked in a controlled voice.

"Nope," Moen answered without rising. "The only living things I've seen all night are of the four-legged variety." Dragging his feet off the table, he stood, stubbed out his cigarette, and moved along the railing towards her. "You seem surprised to see me here."

He stopped within two feet of her and rested back against a deck post. "I had no idea who was out here," Abby responded as she took a couple steps backwards. "Is someone coming to relieve you soon or are you here for the night?"

Moen gave her a smirk. "I'll be done here at midnight, if you wanna go out for a drink."

Abby felt her skin start to crawl. "I've got better things to do right here."

His laugh was deep and teasing. "Of course you do. You need to take care of your very Special Agent Gibbs. Wouldn't want anything to happen to him, now would we?"

Abby rested her hands on her hips in irritation. "I'm fixing him something to eat and making sure he has his pain meds. Why am I telling you this? You don't care!" Spinning on her heel, she re-entered the house and shut the door on Moen, who was saying something about how he did in fact care…. Seeing that man twice in one day was almost too much!

Now Abby didn't know where to look, but to be certain, she crossed to the basement door and peered down the steps. Seeing nothing but complete darkness, she decided to better recheck the entire upstairs. Gibbs had better still be in the house, or she would never forgive herself for letting him trick her, if that was what the soup was all about. At the top of the stairs, to the right, was the spare bedroom. Opening the door, she flipped on the light and found the room empty. Next, down the hall on the left, was Gibbs' bedroom and just beyond that, on the right, was another bathroom. As she walked towards the second bathroom, she glanced into Gibbs' bedroom and was startled to see him sitting in bed, tray on his lap, eating his soup.

Abby walked swiftly towards his bed. "Where did you go, Gibbs?"

He was using deep concentration to get the spoon to his mouth with his left hand without dribbling. After he succeeded, he picked up a cracker. "I haven't been anywhere, Abbs. Where could I go?"

She stood with her hands on her hips, staring at his oh-so-innocent expression. "Did you see me bring the soup in?" she finally asked.

"No… can't say that I did."

Abby narrowed her eyes. "You shouldn't have gotten out of bed without me being here."

"I don't need you to accompany me to the head, Abbs."

"You go to the one down the hall?"

"Wanted to stretch my legs. This is good soup. Did you have some?" Again he was concentrating on getting the spoon to his lips without spilling it.

She smiled when she saw him accomplish the slow task. "You want me to feed you?"

Gibbs sighed and rolled his eyes. "No. You already took my gun away. How small do you wanna make me feel?"

Abby started giggling. "Well, just don't make a mess, or I'll tie a bib on you."

Gibbs gave a soft snort. "Go get yourself a bowl. I hate eating alone."

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><p><strong>AN:** Please leave a review! To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Very sorry for the long delay in getting back to this story. It's now flowing from my brain to my keyboard quite nicely and I hope to have timely updates. Thank you for your patience and for the prodding I got from some of you. :)

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><p>Shortly after midnight, Abby gave Gibbs his pain pills with a glass of water. As he settled under the covers to sleep, she went downstairs to make sure that Agent Moen was relieved of his duties. Standing in the dark kitchen, a few feet from the window, she was able to look into the backyard. Moen was off the deck, standing in the grass, smoking. She could see the red tip of his cigarette glow brighter each time he put it to his mouth. She watched for about five minutes before another man entered the backyard, spoke for a while with Moen, then Moen left. Quickly, she moved towards the side of the house, to peer out another window, so she could actually see Agent Moen get in his vehicle and drive off.<p>

She let out a sigh of relief when she was certain that he was gone. The guy was not nice and she didn't like having him around.

Deciding to check in with Agent Reese, Abby stepped out the front door and was instead greeted by Tony. "Abby, you headed home?"

"Hey, Tony." She looked beyond him, searching for Clara. "No, I think I'll stay a little longer. Where's Agent Reese?"

"I sent her home. I'll be here until Ziva gets back." He stretched an arm above his head and gave a yawn.

"You need to rest too, Tony," she stated with concern. "You and McGee have been working non-stop. Wasn't there someone else that could relieve Agent Reese?"

Tony sat down on the low front step. "I wanted to be here. How's he doing?"

Sitting down and putting an arm around his shoulders, she spoke softly, "He's doing fine. He ate and we talked for almost two hours. You know how Gibbs can just go on and on… nearly talked my ear off."

Tony gave a chuckle and saw her teasing smile. His grin then slowly faded and he rubbed the palms of his hands over his knees. "We can't get a lead on Ripolla. No credible hits on the BOLO. His father is in Montana and says he knows nothing. We're still trying to track down his mother." With a groan of frustration, Tony ran a hand through his hair. "I can't get anything out of Andrews! I know Gibbs could break him!"

She tighten her arm around his shoulders. "You're doing everything you can to keep Gibbs safe. Did Andrews tell you anything at all?"

"McGee questioned him late this evening and found out that he was visited by Donna Packard at his hotel. She's Ripolla's half-sister."

"So she's been helping those two guys."

He nodded. "Looks like it."

"Now I have a name to go with the prints that were found. I wonder…" Abby said as thoughts zipped through her head. "What if she made a stop at…" suddenly she jumped to her feet. "I've gotta get back to the lab."

Tony stood up and watched her hurry towards the street. "Abby! What is it?"

"Just something I have to check on," she called over her shoulder. "I'll let you know what I find."

As Abby drove away from Gibbs' home, she decided to first head to her apartment to take a quick shower and put on some fresh clothes. She still needed to think about the evidence she had in the lab and what exactly she needed to retest in order to get some new answers. Knowing now that the prints were Packard's and that she was in contact with both Andrews and Ripolla was a huge break. Plus there was that video from the gas station that she wanted to watch again, this time focusing on the cars that stopped for gas.

As she ran up the stairs to her second floor apartment, she was so lost in thought, that she didn't notice the man lingering two doors down. If she had noticed, she would have known right away that it wasn't one of her neighbors, even though he appeared to be unlocking the door. But Abby was in a hurry and wanted to get on her way to the lab as soon as possible.

So when she unlocked her door and stepped inside, she swung it shut as she went towards her bedroom. The strange thing was, she didn't hear the door slam shut and when she turned, there was a stranger standing inside her entrance and he slowly and softly closed the door behind him. With a scream, she bolted for her bedroom, slammed the door, and twisted the lock then she dumped her bag and scrambled for her phone. The sound of one heavy thud and splintering wood filled her ears and the man was instantly grabbing at her, pulling her from the room.

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><p>It was early morning when Gibbs made his way slowly down to his kitchen. He had half expected Abby to still be around, fussing over him, but as far as he could tell, she hadn't spent the night. It had taken him nearly fifteen minutes to put his jeans on and get them zipped and buttoned. If she had been there to help him, he could have been fully dressed already. Or perhaps not… he thought as a small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. He could only imagine Abby's seductive playfulness if she were to help him dress. And if he was lucky, she would have insisted on helping him shower. But since she wasn't there, he had decided the shower could wait and the white t-shirt he had worn to bed was good enough for now.<p>

His elbow felt much better so he decided to skip the pain pills and concentrated on preparing his early morning fix of caffeine. After much fumbling and awkward left-handed movements, he finally got the pot perking and he was just pouring his first cup of coffee when Ziva came through his front door.

She walked in as though it was something she did every day. "Good morning, Gibbs," she greeted brightly, placing his morning newspaper on the table where he had just settled. Next she turned and grabbed a mug for herself. "Did you sleep well?"

He felt like growling about the damn bandage on his damn arm and having agents posted outside his damn house! Ziva's chipper mood was too much for him to handle so early _and_ before his first cup of coffee! So he didn't answer as she prepared her drink, instead he picked up his paper, opened it, and scanned the front page. He needed at least one cup flowing through his system before he could even consider having a conversation. Apparently Ziva sensed his early-morning mood, and she left without saying anything more.

Gibbs gave a heavy sigh and scrubbed a hand across his face then looked with disgust at the large bandage wrapped around his elbow. He couldn't stand how heavily it was wrapped and how completely immobile it was. It took him only a couple of minutes to unwrap the bandage and gauze and immediately he felt a sense of relief. There was a neat two inch row of small stitches that extended from the top of his elbow to the inside of the joint. As far as he could tell, the stitches were the only thing preventing him from extending his arm; they would pull and tear if he dared to flex his elbow. Grabbing the shortest piece of bandage, he wrapped it a couple times around the joint to keep the wound clean.

As he stood to refill his coffee cup, his cell phone rang and he struggled to pull it from his right pocket with his left hand. It rang several times before he finally answered with a growl, "Gibbs."

"Morning, Gibbs," Abby's perky voice responded. "Did I wake you?"

Smiling, he walked to the coffee pot, cradling the phone against his ear. "No, I'm just having my second cup of coffee. You in your lab?"

There was a pause and Gibbs thought he heard something in the background before she answered. "No… I'm at home." There was something different with her response; her tone had dropped and the perkiness had suddenly disappeared. Just as he was about to speak again, she continued, "I know we were going to the zoo today, but I can't. I've got more tests to run at work, which is a bummer since I was really looking forward to seeing the snakes."

Gibbs sat down and wondered what the hell she was talking about. "The zoo, Abbs?"

"Yeah, remember, we talked about it last night? But with those pain pills, maybe you don't remember. So if you don't remember, then it's no problem."

Gibbs stared at the table and tried to recall their conversation about the zoo, but for the life of him, he couldn't. Those pain pills must have really done a number on him. "Okay, Abbs. Will I see you later?"

"Uummmmm, depends on work. I didn't get much sleep last night. Gotta go. Bye, Gibbs." She hung up before he could say anything more.

Setting his phone on the table, a feeling of unease crept into his gut. That was an awful abrupt good-bye considering it was Abby. The zoo? He wondered why on earth they would have made plans for the zoo… today! Plus two times after he had asked her a question, there had been a lengthy pause before she responded, as though she were trying to come up with an answer, an excuse.

Shaking the newspaper open in his hands, he scanned the headings for anything of importance. But as he tried to read, he couldn't concentrate. Abby's voice kept rolling through his head and he tried to remember what else she had said. She was at home, yet she said she was swamped with work. He wondered why she was at home when the team was working on a case. It was obvious that Abby would have lab work with all the evidence. The zoo?

Slamming the paper and his hands onto the table, he winced as a jab of pain shot through his elbow, but ignored it as his gut clenched. Abby hadn't even asked how he was feeling or if he needed anything. He had expected her to call and be worried about him but to call about the zoo and missing out on seeing the snakes? Not a damn thing about her phone call made sense!

Gibbs stood with a fierce push out of his seat, causing the chair to crash over onto the floor. He knew something was wrong! He could feel it in his gut! Abby usually avoided the reptile house at the zoo.

Yanking open a kitchen cabinet drawer, he grabbed his gun and holster and ID then strode to the door. "Ziva!" he called at the same time he pulled it open and stepped out. "Ziva!"

"I'm here!" she responded, coming around the corner while reaching for her sidearm.

He descended the steps, heading towards the street. "Abby's in trouble. She's at her apartment."

Ziva rushed past him and down the street a block where she had parked. As Gibbs waited for her to pull up, he called DiNozzo, putting his team into action.

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Abby sat on her couch staring at the back of Ripolla. He stood to the side of the window that looked down onto the street, used two fingers to draw the curtain aside just a bit so he could peer out into the early-morning light. Only when he had his back turned to her like this, did she lift her eyes to watch him. He had spoken very few words and the night had been long and silent.

He hadn't laid a hand on Abby since pulling her from her bedroom and shoving her down onto the couch. Her hands nor feet were bound and he hadn't gagged her. He hadn't yelled or threatened her. Through the night, he had sat in a chair watching her, and at times, his stare seemed to go right through her as his mind focused on something else.

When he turned from the window, Abby dropped her eyes to stare at her hands folded in her lap. "Your boyfriend should be here soon," he stated in a low calm tone.

She felt a chill go up her spine and she fought against the urge to twist her fingers together. The last thing she was going to do was let him see how frightened and nervous she was. "My boyfriend?" she asked, trying to sound puzzled.

Ripolla had a 9 mm Glock in a holster on his hip, but he had yet to remove it and use it as a threat. He sat down on the edge of a chair facing her and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "Yeah, your boyfriend, Agent Gibbs." His hands made several small gestures as he spoke. "I know all about your little ploy with the zoo. I expect he'll come to your rescue pretty quick now." He laughed and Abby cringed at the sickening sound.

She felt a fear seep into her heart that Gibbs and his team would be walking into a trap. A trap she had unknowingly set up. She was quickly finding out that Ripolla wasn't as dumb as he looked. He hadn't questioned her story about the zoo and had handed her the phone after a couple minutes of contemplation. When she had called Gibbs, he had listened to her conversation while sitting calmly and quietly with only a few inches between them on the couch. His closeness had almost made it impossible for her to speak and so her conversation with Gibbs had been short. Something she was sure Gibbs would pick up on, along with her mentioning the snakes, would have his gut screaming at him that she was in trouble.

Ripolla continued to laugh because she had unwittingly played right into his hand. The longer he laughed, the tighter the fear gripped Abby's heart. When she glanced up at him, there was almost a wild excited look in his gray eyes. His mouth was open with his tongue nearly hanging out over his bottom lip. When his eyes caught hers, they widened and he lifted his brow then nodded his head at her. His laugh was wet like water with a softness.

When Abby dropped her eyes, Ripolla spoke again. "You want to know what I'm going to do to your Agent Gibbs this time?"

Unshed tears were stinging her eyes. "No," she responded softly with a small shake of her head.

"Well, I'm gonna tell ya," he said rising and tapping her knee with a single finger before turning towards the window again. "When my buddy, Jason, shot that undercover FBI dude, that was a warning for Gibbs. When he arrested my buddy, Jason, I shot his elbow to let him know I didn't like what he was doing." Carefully, Ripolla moved the curtain aside to view the street below. "Why, looky there. A couple of uniforms have arrived. I bet they'll have the street blocked off in no time." Releasing the curtain, he turned and leaned back casually against the wall with an evil grin. "This time when I see Agent Gibbs, I'm gonna shoot him again." Lifting his right arm horizontally out in from of him, he curled two fingers under his thumb and let his first two fingers point out straight, in imitation of a gun. He had Abby's attention. "Then I'm gonna, POW! Blow his kneecap off."

Abby's body startled and jerked when Ripolla shouted during his demonstration and recoiled his arm. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she dropped her chin onto her chest, willing the tears not to fall.

Quietly, he moved towards her as the grin slid from his face. His voice was suddenly angry with an edge and Abby jerked her head up. "Now, you little lab rat, you do exactly as I say and maybe… just maybe, you'll live to see another day." Instantly, his face twisted into a sneer. "But I doubt you'll survive. Lab rats are for experimental purposes only." Ripolla's drippy laugh and wild excited look took over his demeanor again, causing Abby to pull her legs up and tuck her knees under her chin as her arms held her securely.

Suddenly, there was a heavy fisted pounding on the door, drawing Ripolla's immediate attention. "Abby!" a deep male voice yelled before more pounding. "Abby Sciuto! You in there?"

Gibbs was surprised to see Special Agent DiNozzo already on scene when he and Ziva arrived. Yellow tape blocked off the street and Tony ducked under it as he strode towards them. "We've got uniforms at every exit, boss," he stated as they turned towards the tall brick apartment building. As DiNozzo continued with his report, Gibbs' eyes rose to Abby's second floor window. A feeling of dread mixed with anger gripped his stomach as he could only imagine what was happening to Abby, _his Abby,_ behind the drawn curtains.

The three had stopped at the walk leading up to the building and Gibbs realized that his agent was no longer speaking. Dropping his gaze, he found Tony and Ziva waiting silently for his command. "Where's McGee?" he questioned with irritation as his eyes scanned the area for his youngest agent.

DiNozzo's brow furrowed downwards. "I told ya, boss. He should be in the apartment next to Abby's already." Realizing that Gibbs hadn't caught his full report, he repeated some of it again. "McGee is going to try and get ears and eyes into Abby's apartment through her neighbor's wall."

"How long's that gonna take?"

Tony pressed a finger against his earwig. "He's snaking a camera through the ductwork right now. Should have eyes in a minute."

The three NCIS agents walked across the street to an area where tables had been set up to support blueprints, laptops, and various electronic equipment. They stood behind a seated FBI agent who was monitoring the camera coiling through the wall. But for now, all they could see was a black screen on his laptop. As they waited and watched, another agent began attaching mikes and earwigs to Gibbs and Ziva.

Tony began speaking as he once again pressed a finger to his ear. "The duct terminated. He's going to have to try something else." The small group of law-enforcement people gathered around the tables, groaned at the announcement and Tony's eyes flashed over them. "Get me some answers, NOW, people!" he snapped at them all. "Phil, don't you have those blueprints analyzed yet? Joe, has the FBI got a lead on Ripolla?" Tony's voice rose as he barked at the other agents. "Is the TRU team in place yet? I want action, people! I need to know what the hell is going on in apartment two, one, two!"

Ziva suddenly raised her hand, palm out. "Quiet," she hissed. "McGee's saying something." Talking and other sounds instantly ended as everyone concentrated on the voice coming into their ears. "There's shouting. Sounds like two men," McGee reported and paused for only a second. "They're threatening each other. I can hear them through the wall." His voice cut off and there were several seconds of silence. "They've stopped. It's all quiet now."

Gibbs pressed the button on his mike. "Did you hear Abby's voice at all, Tim?"

"No, boss. Just the two men. I'm heading up to the apartment above Abby to see if I can get access from there."

"Hurry, McGee," Tony urged. "Whatever's going on in there could soon escalate out of control."

"Who would the two men in Abby's apartment be?" Ziva asked.

"Ripolla and someone else?" Tony answered.

The seated FBI agent turned and looked up at Tony. "I bet it's that agent who got here first."

"What agent?" Gibbs growled.

"I don't know," the man shrugged. "One of the uniforms said something about an agent already being inside when they got here."

Gibbs scanned the many police officers that were milling about. "Which cop? Which one?" he demanded.

The Feeb looked around and finally pointed down the street. "That's him. I think his name is Carl or Carlos."

Gibbs' long strides took him over to the lanky uniformed cop. Tony and Ziva were flanked behind him. "You Carlos?" Gibbs asked, fighting to keep his emotions down.

"Carl," he responded.

"You got here first this morning?"

"Yeah."

"Was there already an agent inside?"

"Some guy from NCIS ran by me shouting orders before he disappeared inside."

"What'd he say?" The cop rolled his eyes and shrugged, causing Gibbs' temper to flare and he grabbed the front of the cop's shirt in his fists. Their noses were mere inches apart and Gibbs' voice was a thin tight snarl. "What did he say?"

The cop's eyes grew big in his head as he felt his body being lifted so only his toes remained in contact with the pavement. "He said to block off the street because there was a hostage situation on the second floor." He started pulling at Gibbs' hands, trying to release them.

Gibbs pushed him away as he let go and winced at the pain that stabbed up his arm from his elbow. "That it?"

If the cop had been smart enough, he would have been scared by Gibbs, but instead he was pissed and answered with a sneer, "Yeah. Then he was gone inside." Gibbs spun and walked away, only to hear, "Crazy asshole," come from behind him. His step faltered only briefly, but he didn't have to turn to know that Ziva was already in the cop's face and more than likely waving a paperclip beneath his nose.

"Any idea who it is, DiNozzo?" he asked as they walked towards the building.

"Maybe someone who was closing in on Ripolla."

"Or someone who's been watching Abby. He may not be a real agent." They stopped and he spoke into his mike. "You got anything yet, McGee?"

"Not yet, boss. Maybe five more minutes."

"We're coming in. McGee, you cover the roof, in case they run and get by us. Tony will cover the back. Ziva and I are entering the front." Gibbs glared at DiNozzo as he hollered for Ziva.

Instantly she appeared out of nowhere. "Right here, Gibbs. On your six."

Tony didn't move into position as he assessed Gibbs' physical appearance. White t-shirt, blue jeans, casual shoes. Right arm bent and held against his stomach. Sig gripped in left hand by his side. "Boss, let Ziva and I take the front."

"Not gonna happen, DiNozzo. This bastard wants me and I want him. You've got to the count of three to get in position. One…"

Gibbs and Ziva entered into the small vacant lobby then pushed through a door, gaining access to the stairs for the upper floors. Arriving on the second floor, Gibbs slowly pushed the door open and peered down the hallway to Abby's apartment. No one was about and everything was quiet.

Gibbs moved into the hall, releasing the safety on his gun. Abby's apartment was two doors down on the right. Ziva quietly closed the door to the stairwell and flanked Gibbs' position as they moved down the hall. Without warning, Abby's door was yanked open and a tall man, his head wrapped in a sweatshirt, was shoved into the hall and up against the opposite wall.

Gibbs and Ziva instantly had their guns in firing position. "Freeze!" Gibbs yelled.

"Get down on your knees!" Ziva commanded.

Gibbs pointed his gun at the door that remained open as the man raised his hands and fell to his knees. "I'm a Federal Agent, don't shoot!" the blinded man shouted and ripped the covering from his head.

Gibbs did a double-take as he glanced at him. "Agent Moen, what the hell's going on?"

Before Moen could get to his feet, Ripolla moved into the doorway holding Abby in front of him. "Put your weapon down, Gibbs," the fugitive snapped. "You, too," he said, nodding at Ziva.

Gibbs flinched at the terror he saw in Abby's green eyes. Without words, she was beseeching him to save her. "Can't do that, Scotty," Gibbs spoke calmly as he tried to re-assure Abby with just a look.

Ripolla jammed the barrel of his gun up under Abby's ribs and she cringed in pain. "I'll shoot her, damnit!"

Green eyes were begging him to DO something. "She's no good to you if you shoot her," he responded and saw Abby's eyes widen even further.

"She'll be no good to you either, Gibbs," he sneered. "She'll be dead. Now put your guns down."

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I've tried to update this rather quickly because of the way the last chapter left things…

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><p>Gibbs' heart was pounding as he looked at the extreme fear in Abby's eyes, which were now awash with tears. He knew that Scotty Ripolla was a mean bastard from when he had arrested him the first time, fourteen years ago. Undoubtedly, doing time in prison had made him even meaner, having already winged Gibbs, which followed the shooting of another FBI agent under his direction! Now the dirtbag was threatening Abby and Gibbs had to do what went against every fiber in his body, but for Abby, he would do anything.<p>

"You'll let her go if we put our weapons down?" he asked, with a tightening in his gut. Beside him, he noticed Ziva's grip on her gun intensify at his suggestion.

Ripolla gave a snort. "Not so fast, Agent Gibbs. I have to ensure my escape and I can't make any promises regarding your lab rat's safety."

"Then why should we give up our guns?" Ziva demanded.

Eyes flashing with anger and his voice to match, Ripolla growled, "Coz if you don't, she's dead! Do it, now! No more talking! And remove the clips first!"

A small whimper escaped from Abby's throat as she witnessed Gibbs unloading his weapon and placing it on the floor. "Do it, Ziva," he commanded roughly.

Special Agent David didn't like the situation but to give up one's weapon was something she was never willing to do. Damn the consequences even at the cost of another's life! She was always willing to try a desperate shot before lying down and rolling over for any scumbag! But with tears now spilling down Abby's cheeks and another warning command from Gibbs, she knew that this time she would not be able to live with the outcome if she did not lay her weapon down. Slowly and methodically, she released the clip and placed both items on the floor.

Ripolla's chest heaved as if from great effort and a sweat broke out on his brow as his features softened and he gave a small smirk. "You!" he barked and swung his weapon on Agent Moen, "Pick up the guns and dump them into the trash chute."

Moen's hands were shaking as he bent and lifted a gun in each hand. When he stood, he gave Gibbs a look of disgust, then walked behind Ziva, grabbed the handle on the heavy metal door to the chute, swung the door down and dropped both weapons inside. Loud clatters of steel on steel echoed up through the chasm until the guns hit bottom. He went back to where he had been standing against the wall, opposite Abby.

"Now let her go, Scotty" Gibbs demanded.

Ripolla's face twisted from the enjoyment he was having with his 'puppets'. He wondered what else he could make them do for the love of their lab rat. However, Ziva made a slight but quick movement and instantly he swung his Glock on her, creating the moment that Moen had been looking for. Lunging forward, he grabbed the outstretched arm and gun, swinging them upwards and against the wall. Abby screamed as the gun went off and Ripolla slammed back against Moen. But the agent wouldn't give up his hold on the weapon and when Ripolla opened his hand, the gun went skittering down the hall. With a force strong enough to cause whiplash, he shoved Abby towards Gibbs and Ziva and surged towards the far end of the hall.

Gibbs and Ziva were knocked over backwards from the force of Abby being thrown into them and Moen sat crouched against the wall, holding an obviously broken forearm. By the time Ziva got to her feet, Gibbs was up and had the Glock in his hand. Moen had moved nearer to Abby, who leaned against him in utter relief and exhaustion. As Gibbs stepped around him, he slapped Moen on the back of the shoulder. "Nice job, Agent Moen. Now you both get the hell out of here!"

The two agents sprinted to the end of the hall where Ripolla had rammed through the door to another apartment. Screams from the occupants filled their ears as they crossed the threshold. A hysterical woman sat on a couch cradling a frightened little girl as a man crouched beside them. Without any words being spoken, the man pointed towards the bedroom and Gibbs rushed through the door only to find an open window. As he leaned out the casement, he could see Ripolla getting away down the fire escape. Swinging his leg over the sill, he glanced up at Ziva. "We're headed down the alley to the west. Hurry!"

Gibbs half slid and half leapt down the metal ladder that hung from the outside of the brick building, all the while cursing his injured arm. By the time his feet hit the pavement, Ripolla was already thirty yards up the alley. The man was in good shape; he could see that from the way he had smashed up Moen and how quickly he was getting away.

Gibbs chased Ripolla into the alley and lost sight of him as he zigzagged around dumpsters. The narrow passageway ended at a twelve-foot high chain-linked fence and he leaned against it, puffing heavily, as he searched beyond to where it intersected with a busy street. He wondered briefly if The Ripper had scaled the fence and hooked up with a ride. Figuring he would have heard or at least seen the fugitive climbing the unstable chained fence, he spun, holding the Glock ready in his left hand.

Suddenly, he realized that he must have run past Ripolla and the man was now hiding amongst the dumpsters and piles of garbage that littered the damp alleyway. Waiting for backup was an option, but he knew he had the upper hand, since he was the one holding the gun.

Approaching the first dumpster cautiously, he took a quick look behind it to determine that it was clear. The next dumpster was wedged at an angle up against a tall cement-block building and Gibbs tried to swing it free with the firearm still in his hand. It didn't budge. Anger and frustration well within him because he still wondered if Ripolla had escaped without him seeing.

Shoving his right shoulder against the reeking trash container, the small wheels squealed and moved an inch. With another mighty effort, the rusted wheels again protested before giving way and moving somewhat further. The clank of metal, above and behind him, made Gibbs look up and twist around just as Ripolla dove through the air, clutching a two-inch steel pipe in his hand. As they collided and crashed to the wet cement, the Glock slipped from Gibb's hand and slid away as the pipe also fell and tumbled out of reach.

The two men grappled and rolled across the dirty ground, both making failed attempts to reach one of the weapons. Ripolla got a hand up under Gibbs' chin and craned his head up and back at the same time he pounded a fist down onto his right elbow. The pain shot through Gibbs' body like he had been zapped with a tazer. Ripolla made a lunge for the pipe, which was closest, as Gibbs reeled in agony. Jumping to his feet with the long steel weapon squeezed in his hand, The Ripper spun, raised it into the air, and was ready to deliver the final blow.

Digging down deep inside to his survival instinct, Gibbs rolled away as the pipe smashed into the cement, directly where his head had lain. Spotting the Glock, Gibbs knew he had one chance left to live or die, but he could only reach it if he stretched with his right hand. With a roar that issued from deep in his lungs and reverberated off the walls of the narrow alley, Gibbs extended his arm and felt the tearing of flesh as his hand finally closed onto the grip of the gun. When he rolled back towards The Ripper, the heavy deadly pipe was already on its way towards his head. Gibbs squeezed the trigger twice before his world went black.

Agent DiNozzo and Agent David entered the alley as the gun shots still echoed. With weapons drawn, they rushed towards their boss. Their feet stuttered to a stop when their eyes landed upon the two prone men. Gibbs lay on his back with Ripolla lying at an angle across his chest. Leaping into action, Tony rolled Ripolla to his back as Ziva radioed for an ambulance. Tony's body blocked Ziva's view of Gibbs, but his voice sent a chill down her spine. "Oh, god, Zee…."

Stepping forward to peer over Tony's shoulder, her eyes were swamped with the red color of blood that soaked Gibbs' white t-shirt. Dropping to her knees beside Tony, her voice was frantic. "We have to stop the bleeding, Tony! Give me your shirt!"

As Tony tore the garment over his head, Ziva ripped Gibbs' shirt open with her hands. His skin was coated with blood, but there were no visible holes or injuries. Ziva ran her hands down his sides then around his neck. "I cannot find a wound," she said on the verge of panic. "Where is all of this blood coming from?"

Tony's eyes flashed over to Ripolla. "It's not his, Zee." She was about to roll Gibbs over when Tony clutched her shoulders. "Ziva! It's not his blood. Look!"

Lifting her eyes, she saw blood oozing off of Ripolla's chest. Brushing off Tony's hands, she searched Gibbs' body again. "Then why is he not awake? Why are his eyes not open?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know. The ambulance is here. We need to clear away these bags and boxes." As he rose to start clearing a path through the garbage, Ziva snatched the shirt from his hand and carefully wrapped it around Gibbs' torn elbow.

On the ride to the hospital in the ambulance, Gibbs regained consciousness only briefly. Once he was in the exam room, it was determined that his only injuries were the torn flesh of his elbow and a glancing blow to the head. He was kept overnight for observation.

The following day, Gibbs was home, resting on his couch when there was a light knock on his door and Abby walked in. He hadn't seen her or anyone since the stand-off, having refused all visitors while in the hospital.

Her greeting was hesitant. "Hey, Gibbs. Is it okay that I'm here?"

"It's fine," he answered with re-assurance and motioned to a chair. "Have a seat."

She settled onto the edge of the cushion, squeezing her hands together as they rested upon her knees. "So, how are you feeling? Your head and arm."

"I'm fine. All patched up again." His gaze took note of her nervousness. "What's on your mind, Abbs?"

Green eyes rose and looked directly at him. "Why wouldn't you let me see you yesterday?"

Tilting his head, he looked down onto the open book in his lap. "I wanted to be alone. Needed time to think."

"Are we okay, Gibbs?"

Her question gave him pause. "I don't have an answer to that right now, Abby."

Silence enveloped the room and became a weight on the two occupants before Abby eventually asked another question. "Is it okay if I come back and fix you dinner tonight?"

"Already made plans with Ducky."

"Oh." She stood and walked around the low coffee table then bent and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for saving me," she said softly.

Gibbs couldn't look up to meet her eyes. "I didn't save you. Agent Moen did."

"You were the first one to know I was in trouble."

"Wrong again, Abbs. Agent Moen was there way before me."

"Well, dog-gone-it, Gibbs," she retorted in exasperation. "I'm saying thank you anyway because you were there and you killed the big bad guy." Stalking towards the door to leave, she mumbled, "See you tomorrow at work."

Gibbs waited until he heard the door click shut before running a hand through his hair and winced as his fingers encountered the tender flesh of the bump on his head. He had a lot to think about regarding his actions that resulted in the death of a man. He didn't regret killing Ripolla, not one damn bit! But he was questioning his other actions. Should he have let Tony and Ziva take the front? Should they have laid down their weapons? Should he have waited for backup? And through all of this, did his relationship with Abby cloud his judgment?

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><p>TBC…<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** A longer chapter here, since I made you all wait so long.

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><p>Abby couldn't figure out what the hell was going on with Gibbs! She kept thinking about the visit she made to his house yesterday. For him to withdraw so completely from her was the last thing she had expected and it hurt her deeply. She had driven away from his home with tears springing to her eyes and eventually she had to pull over because she had been crying too hard. He was punishing himself for not protecting her, but didn't he realize that by punishing himself, he was also punishing her? She just couldn't understand him closing her off! From what he had said to her, she felt as though their relationship had moved backwards seven years in time.<p>

She tried concentrating on her work, but her thoughts wouldn't let her and her vision kept blurring from lack of sleep. Not being able to eat or rest properly was taking a toll on her mental and physical state. Every night, she was afraid to close her eyes because the horrible dreams would start, leading to cold sweats and waking bolt-upright, breathing heavily. Nightmares kept replaying the stand-off at her apartment, but with many different endings; someone always ended up dead, but never Ripolla.

The work she was throwing herself into currently was for Balboa's team, analyzing carpet fibers. The tops of her shoulders ached from the hunched position of looking into her microscope for the past two hours and now it felt like hot needles were being pushed through her muscles from the inside out. It was only because of her extreme fatigue that her study of the carpet had become a monumental job. Of course, she loved science, especially the analytical part of trying to figure something out or match something together. Everyone knew how tirelessly she worked at solving the unsolvable. But today, she was beyond tired and there was a conflict warring in her subconscious that was wearing her down.

The past two nights, she had stayed at Ziva's apartment and was an emotional wreck from the pain that Gibbs had inflicted. Ziva had thought she was emotionally wrought because of Ripolla and the trauma he had put her through. She had no idea that not only was Abby suffering from the terrifying ordeal with The Ripper, but she was also struggling with the heartache from Gibbs.

Right now, the NCIS building was the only place she felt completely safe, surrounded by top-notch security and armed special agents. Tony had told her that he would be leading the team for the next week, as Gibbs was going to be relegated to desk duty until his injuries healed. She knew he would hate not being out in the field and it would probably only compound the dark brooding nature of his thoughts.

This morning, as she worked, her painful emotions had slowly morphed into anger and resentment. Gibbs was making a decision that affected both of them and he hadn't talked with her about it at all! No wonder the man had divorced three times! He withdrew too quickly without giving consideration to the other person and their thoughts and feelings. Communication was the key to any successful relationship and Gibbs sucked at it! She was determined that the next time she saw him, she would give him an earful! Yet, she was desperate to see him again. Was his arm healing alright? Were his dreams haunted by Ripolla like hers were? She yearned to see his blue eyes and feel his strong arms enfold her and hear his deep voice rumble softly into her ear. Once those things were out of the way, then she would definitely give him a piece of her mind!

A soft knock on her door brought her thoughts away from her troubles and she lifted her head, swiveling in her chair. Special Agent Moen stood just outside the door, a subdued look on his face. A heavy white plaster cast circled half his hand and extended up to his elbow. The broken appendage was suspended from his neck and shoulder in a dark blue sling. She hadn't seen him since he had saved her life.

She looked at him expectantly and he spoke first. "Is it okay if I come in?"

Thoughts of the previous occasion he had visited her lab, came to her mind. She had told him to leave and that he was banned from ever returning. At the time, he had scoffed and made a smart-ass remark, but a lot had happened since then.

Standing up, she moved towards him with outstretched arms. He came into the room and she didn't stop until her arms were wrapped tightly around him. "I can't believe this is the first time I'm saying this to you, but thank you." After a brief squeeze, she stepped back and smiled up at him. He was a good six inches taller than she was.

The agent smiled broadly and moved around her towards a table covered with carpet samples. "So that's all I had to do to get a hug and gain entrance into your lab again," he said teasingly.

She turned and looked at his back. "You could have been killed."

"You were in more danger than I was," he responded with a shrug and swung around to face her. "How have you been getting along?"

"Ziva, Tony, and Tim have been taking care of me wonderfully. They're just like family. How have you been, Agent Moen?"

"I'm assigned to desk duty until the cast comes off. Which is part of the reason for my visit."

"The carpet fibers," Abby announced and bounced on her feet towards her computer. She was glad to get back to the topic of forensics. "The three victims were wrapped in rugs from different sources, different manufacturers, and in varying degrees of decomposition. To put it plainly, Agent Moen, none…"

"Derek," he interrupted and Abby stopped to look at him. "You can call me Derek. Agent Moen was before… seems awful formal."

Abby smiled and for the first time, she saw a bit of warmth in his brown eyes. "I didn't know… that your name was Derek," she finished quickly, then turned back to complete her explanation. He stood beside her quietly as she gave him all the details and she rambled on far more than was necessary. She wasn't used to him being so quiet and it was a bit unnerving. Normally he would have interrupted her many times and inferred that he already knew more than he actually did. But this time, he stood silently and listened to her.

When she finished, Moen started to chuckle softly. "That's a lot of information. I now know more about carpet than I've ever wanted to."

Being familiar with the type of egotistical man that he was, she could only think that he was being sarcastic and laughing at her. "I guess I told you more than I had to," she stated flatly and walked several feet away before turning and folding her arms tightly over her chest.

Frowning, he moved swiftly towards her, then reached out and rested a gentle hand on her arm. "Oh, no, I'm not laughing at you, Abby." Her eyes darted to his touch and he quickly withdrew his hand. "I'm just too thick headed to remember all of that."

Needing to put space between them so she could look at him without having to crane her neck, she was thrown by this new demeanor and replied coolly, "I'll put it in a report and send it to you in an email. It'll be much shorter and more concise."

Moen gave a soft simple smile. "That would be great, Abby. Thank you." He headed for the door but then paused and turned. "I was wondering… nah, forget it."

"What?"

"It's nothing," he responded and headed for the door.

Abby walked quickly in his direction. "Agent Moen." She waited for him to turn. "Whatever it is, just ask. I usually surprise people."

"Would you have dinner with me tonight?" he asked without hesitation.

Abby quickly closed her mouth before it became obvious how stunned she was. When several seconds went by and she hadn't responded, he waved a hand in the air and started once again to retreat. "Forget it. It's not like I saved your life and you owe me anything."

Abby felt a rush of guilt fill her chest. "Of course, I'll have dinner with you, Derek," she answered quickly and he turned back with a beaming smile. "It's the least I can do to thank you."

"Just dinner," he said, taking a step towards her. "Nothing fancy. Pick you up at 7:30?"

She hated the idea of spending more time with this man, but he had saved her life and she could muster through one evening to let him know how grateful she was. His face was beaming and she couldn't get over how happy he seemed just with the prospect of eating a meal together. "Okay. I've been staying with Ziva but tonight I'll be at the convent with the nuns. I'll give you the address." After scribbling on a piece of paper, she handed it to him and he stuffed it in his pocket without looking at it. "I should really start staying at my apartment," she said uneasily.

"You will, when it feels right," he stated lightly and headed for the door with a spring in his step. "I'll see you at 7:30," he repeated just before disappearing down the hall.

Abby was gazing at the empty doorway, wondering if there was a kinder side to Derek Moen that she was just beginning to see, when Gibbs sauntered in. Their gazes locked for a couple seconds before Abby spun and headed for her office. She could hear him right behind her.

Dropping into her chair, she began shuffling some papers on her desk. "Did the team catch a case?" she asked bluntly.

Gibbs stood beside her desk but she didn't look up at him and he replied to her question with a question of his own. "You dating Agent Moen now, Abbs?" Her eyes snapped onto his face, glaring at him and he wondered where she had learned to give a look like that. "No case."

Her eyes dropped to her desktop again. "I'm going to dinner with Derek to thank him…."

The fact that she had used his first name tightened Gibbs' gut. "For saving you," he stated, finishing her sentence for her. "How have you been?"

Abby thought she would feel relief and be happy to see him again, but she was angrier than she had realized. Her blood started to roil again just thinking about their previous conversation and now this inquiry, which he should have asked twenty-four hours ago. "It just occurred to you now, to ask me that question?"

He heard the edge to her voice and wondered if she was angry with him. "I've had a lot on my mind."

"Obviously."

"What do you want from me, Abby?" he asked with a stern voice.

"I want you to leave, Gibbs. You're good at that!" She watched him turn and he mumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite catch as he walked away. When she was sure he was gone, she dropped her head into her hands and started repeating, "_Not gonna cry, not gonna cry, so not gonna cry."_

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><p>Gibbs knew he had blown it. He had possibly forever messed up their friendship! He knew he needed to fix this, but how the hell was he supposed to do that? He sat in his car wondering about this while watching Agent Moen and Abby walk into a seafood restaurant. Somehow the man knew what Abby liked. Gibbs waited for fifteen minutes, hoping they would be seated at a table near the window, but when they weren't, he crossed the street and entered the establishment. His gut was telling him to keep an eye on Abby.<p>

There were a few couples waiting to be seated and Gibbs backed into a corner as his eyes scanned the tables, finally landing upon Abby and Moen. They were ordering and joking with the waiter and Gibbs was totally entranced by the bright smile on Abby's face. He had learned from Ziva just how traumatized she was by Ripolla, barely eating, having nightmares, and not staying at her apartment. But from the looks of it now, Agent Moen was doing a very good job of making her forget about her troubles, and Gibbs was captivated by her glowing smiling face.

"Can I help you, sir?" A voice broke into his thoughts. "Sir, do you have a reservation?"

His attention fell to the young hostess. "No, I'm fine here."

"You can't just stand there all evening, sir," she responded, a bit confused. "We don't allow loitering."

Pulling his badge from his pocket, he flipped it open for her to see. "I'm working. I'm on protection detail for one of your patrons."

Her eyes widened with surprise and interest. "Oh really? Who?" she asked, turning towards the dining area.

"Can't say. Matter of security," he told her, continuing with his ploy. "I'm fine, you won't even know I'm here."

"I'm afraid you will draw too much attention just standing here by the front door," she explained. "You should move over towards the bathrooms where you can look more inconspicuous."

"I'll do that," he said nodding and grabbing a menu he took up a post behind a tall fake fern plant near the entrance of the hallway that led back to the restrooms. He had been there less than a minute, when Abby left her seat and came towards him. Quickly, he ducked behind his open menu and she walked past him to the ladies room.

Several minutes later, she returned and had just gone by when she suddenly spun and stepped up beside him. "You going to eat here, Gibbs, or just look at the menu?" She waited for his blue eyes to meet her green ones before pushing him against the wall and showing him how angry she was. "What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed. "You following me? Leave, before Derek sees you or he'll be more pissed than I am!"

"What are you getting so angry about?" he asked in a harsh voice.

Abby glanced quickly at Moen to see if he had noticed them. "We're not having this discussion now! I'm perfectly safe with one federal agent, I don't need two! Just leave!"

When she stepped back, Gibbs moved around her and headed for the door. Returning to her seat, she tried to look composed but Moen only needed to take one look at her to see frustration written all over her face. "What happened?" he asked quickly and spun to look in the direction of the restrooms. "Did someone do something?"

Abby took a deep breath to try and calm her agitated nerves. "It's nothing. Just a little incident between two people near the restrooms." Moen was looking at her with concern and confusion. "I felt trapped in that hallway is all. I need a drink."

"You sure you're okay?" When she nodded, he continued, "I ordered us a bottle of wine."

"That's good, but I need something stronger right now. A vodka tonic." Moen got up to go to the bar for her drink and Abby let her eyes scan the entire restaurant. She wanted to make sure that Gibbs was truly gone and hadn't just moved to another position. When she was satisfied, she couldn't believe that she had caught him like that! He must have been following Agent Moen all evening, but why? Was it to keep an eye on her or was there something about Moen that concerned him? She knew Gibbs had probably done a thorough back-ground check on the agent and he would have told her if there was something hinky with the man. Suddenly she was beginning to feel overwhelmed and just wanted to leave so she could crawl into a carton of rocky road ice cream. _Or maybe a bottle of alcohol_, she thought and looked expectantly for Derek.

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><p>Two hours later, Abby had Derek drive her to her apartment building. She was feeling much more confident about spending the night in her own place and in her own comfortable bed. At the outer door, she fumbled for her keys then bent over to get a good look at the small lock. Her body started to sway and she could tell that it was going to be near impossible for her to get the key inserted into that tiny lock. Suddenly she felt two large warm hands on her hips to steady her and she giggled. Her evening with Agent Derek Moen had turned out very pleasant and she was actually beginning to like the man a little bit.<p>

"You need some help there?" he asked in a teasing voice as he leaned over her shoulder while still holding her hips.

She took a couple of deep breaths. "Let me try first," she answered with a small laugh. After a couple of attempts, she finally got the key into the lock but then Derek slid his hands up over her waist and ribs and she jerked away as a sharp pain shot through her middle.

They both jumped away from one another as though they were a couple of teenagers being caught by her parents. Abby was leaning to her right and clutching her side. "What is it, Abby?" he asked anxiously. "Did I do something?"

The pain had made the alcohol-induced haze suddenly clear from her mind. "It's a bruise near my ribs." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "It's from Ripolla's gun."

"Damnit! Why didn't you say something!" Stepping closer he gently held her shoulders. "Are you going to be okay?"

Straightening, she swiped a hand across her eyes. "I'm fine. It's just a bruise."

"Can I see it?"

Slowly she lifted her shirt to just below her breasts and turned sideways so the street light could give a better view. "They x-rayed it and there's nothing broke. It's a deep muscle bruise."

Derek reached out with his fingertips but then withdrew. "That looks really bad and painful."

Pulling her shirt down, she unlocked the door and they went inside. Silently, they walked up the flight of stairs and down the hall to her apartment and at the door, Abby turned around. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"If you'd rather stay at the convent, I'll take you there. Or I can sweep your apartment and stay for a while." He gave a small smile and moved closer. "Or, I can spend the night on your couch."

Abby handed him her key. "I would feel better if you cleared all the rooms," she said and he nodded then opened the door and slipped inside. The idea of letting him stay on her couch gave her peace of mind but something about it didn't feel right.

Derek returned to the doorway. "It's all clear, Abby. You can come in now."

Stepping inside, memories of the last time she was here assaulted her and she swayed, gratefully feeling Derek's tall strong body behind her. Hesitantly, she moved through the apartment, looking into each room as Derek followed right behind her. "Looks the same as always," she finally stated as they returned to the kitchen. "Stay for a cup of coffee or tea or lemonade or milk or hot chocolate or…."

"Coffee would be nice."

After a long hour of stunted conversation and one cup, Abby showed Derek to the door and said goodnight. She knew he then waited in the hall until she had locked her door. Now she was alone and all her mind could do was think about the hours she had spent with Ripolla in this confined space. More than anything, she wanted to get her thoughts onto something else, but everything kept taking her back to those horrible hours she had spent in his captivity. She was about to go sit on the couch, but that was just too much, too soon. She didn't know how on earth she was going to sleep through the night here, but she was going to try.

Going to her bedroom to prepare for the evening, there was a knock on her door and she felt certain that Derek had returned to see if she was still okay. As she walked towards the door, she reconsidered letting him stay the night on her couch. Checking the peephole, though, she really wasn't surprised when she saw that Gibbs was standing in the hall.

Letting him in, it wasn't until she closed the door that he turned on her. "What the hell are you doing here, Abbs?" he demanded.

"Spending the night."

"You're not ready for that!"

His authoritative voice irked her. Did he always think he knew what was best for everyone? "I want to be home, Gibbs, in my own place."

Shaking his head, he moved to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You have fun with Agent Moen?"

"Do you care?"

Closing his eyes, he swallowed the hot liquid. He really didn't care. "What's the idea of lifting your shirt for him like that outside?"

Abby gave an angry huff. "You saw that? You've been following us all night!"

Her voice was angry but his suddenly turned calm. "What's wrong with your stomach, Abbs?"

Turning her back, she headed for the bedroom. "It's just a bruise."

"I wanna see it."

"Too bad. You're not going to!" she shouted as she closed her door.

Several minutes passed before Abby returned wearing a long sleeve heavy white nightgown that fell to her ankles. "You still here?"

"I'm not leaving."

"I'm going to bed, Gibbs." Her voice was definitely irritated.

"I'm still not leaving. I'll stay on your couch."

"I didn't invite you to stay."

"I know, but you'll sleep better if I'm here. You need your rest."

Running a glass of water from the kitchen sink, she returned to her bedroom, walking past him and rolling her eyes. "Suit yourself. I don't want to hear anything about your sore back tomorrow, though."

Gibbs smiled as he heard her door close. She was, without a doubt, angry with him, but she hadn't thrown him out so this was a start.

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><p>TBC…<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thank you for waiting patiently for this update.

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><p>When Gibbs awoke in the morning, he swung his feet off the black leather couch and put a hand to his lower back. Definitely not the most comfortable place to sleep, he decided, and he wondered if it would have been better had he slept on the hard wood floor. Walking to the kitchen, he stretched his muscles and muttered a curse when he automatically tried to flex his injured elbow. While starting a pot of coffee, he thought of Abby. She must have slept through the night, because he hadn't heard a peep from her. Walking towards her bedroom door, he heard the shower running in the bathroom across the hall and felt a wave of relief that she was up preparing for the day. From what he had heard from Ziva and Tony, he had expected to have a very anguished Abby on his hands this morning.<p>

When the coffee was brewed, he filled a to-go mug and was snapping the lid on top when a sweet warm scent surrounded him before two long arms wrapped around his middle from behind. Abby nestled her body against his back with her cheek lying between his shoulders. Gibbs relaxed into her hold and put a hand over hers, which were clasped in the center of his stomach. It felt easy and natural having her so close, pressed to his backside. He imagined turning and capturing her luscious lips in a soul-searing kiss, but when that thought floated through his mind, he pulled her hands from his body and stepped away.

He turned to face her. "I made coffee," he said, motioning towards the pot as his eyes were assailed by a very beautiful, damp, curly haired, short-black-silk-robed forensic scientist. The belt was cinched at her waist, but the v-front opening gave him just an ever-so-slight view of the creamy skin on her left breast. Gibbs felt his body respond and he couldn't help but let his eyes rake down over her curves to the long bare legs and feet that were smooth and slender. He knew he was losing his self-control when he tried to lift his eyes back to her face, but instead his gaze didn't make it past her breasts. Her nipples were two small peaks pressed firmly against the silky fabric.

Suddenly Abby stepped into his personal space and rested a gentle hand on his chest as the fingers of her other hand trailed down the opening between her breasts. "I'm not mad anymore," she offered softly and took a tiny step forward so her front barely touched his.

Gibbs' left hand lifted to rest lightly upon her waist and he couldn't help but give a small smile. He didn't think there was anything more beautiful than the way her damp hair cascaded in curly wisps to her shoulders. The thick dark strands tempted him to bury his fingers within their inky blackness. Trying to restrain himself, his hand tightened upon her hip, and he couldn't help but tug her a bit closer. Her heavenly scent surrounded him, and he desperately wanted to know just how amazing she would taste under his lips and against his tongue. His eyes flitted from her velvety mouth down to where her fingers played along the upper swell of her breast. Ever so slightly, he tilted his chin and began to dip his head, giving in to his throbbing need for this woman.

Abby felt a million butterflies flit within her stomach when his large warm hand gripped her waist. Barefoot, she was a few inches shorter than he was and she looked up through her lashes to see the slight upward twitch of his lips that always made her knees go weak. His sleep-disheveled hair was begging her fingers to run through it, in an attempt to smooth the silver tufts that stood out. When his eyes had all but scalded her entire body, she knew this was exactly the way to get him back to wanting her… needing her. She was determined to show him that his self-imposed punishment had ended and now they needed to get back to what they had started just a few days ago in the NCIS men's room. Her body had been humming all morning because she had been thinking back on that delightfully sinful encounter.

Gibbs was within inches of kissing her when he suddenly realized how wrong it would be to lead Abby on like this. He had decided that in order to keep her safe, an intimate relationship was out of the question. Friends, yes, but not lovers. Jerking his head back, he released her hip and stepped away. Grabbing his cup of coffee, he headed for the door, knowing he had to get out of the tiny apartment before he succumbed to her warm sexy body.

Abby was stunned when he unexpectedly turned away. His lips had been so close; his body heat had burned directly to her insides. Now his hand was already on the door knob before she could think clearly enough to say something. "What the hell, Gibbs?"

He squeezed the knob in his hand and gritted his teeth. God, he didn't want to do this now. He didn't want to have this conversation because he knew… he knew it would hurt her. But to become lovers, that could hurt her even more, so he chose the lesser of the two evils and faced her. "I'm going to go home and shower and shave and then I'll swing back around here to pick you up for work," he stated in an effort to sidestep the situation.

"What… what just happened here?" she asked, swinging the conversation in the direction he'd dreaded. She walked to within a couple feet of where he stood and gave a seductive smile. "I thought we got past that whole awkward denial stage a few days ago." Stepping closer, she saw his eyes flit to her mouth then to her breasts. Her voice dropped lower and became sultry. "I thought you wanted to see my bruise," she responded and tugged at the belt that held her robe closed. "Don't you wanna kiss it better?" she asked with pouty lips.

Gibbs responded with a low growl, "This isn't going to happen, Abby, so don't embarrass yourself."

Suddenly the playfulness was gone and she felt a blush creep up her neck. There was an edge to her next question. "Why isn't this going to happen, Agent Gibbs! Sounds like you've made a decision about _us_ without _us_ talking about it!"

"I'm no good for you, Abbs. Let's be thankful we didn't let things go too far."

"As far as I'm concerned, things went plenty far enough!" Pulling her robe closed completely over her chest, she snugged the belt tight. "So… so I don't understand," she began and stepped back, away from his warmth. "Explain to me why we can't be together," she asked, her voice quivering as tears stung the backs of her eyes. "Tell me what's changed? Tell me what's going on inside your mind, Gibbs! How can you do this to me… to us?"

His hand left the door knob and he reached out for her, but she jerked back and away. He didn't know how to tell her. He hadn't expected to have to explain things already. He needed time and space but Abby wanted answers. "Ripolla got to you, Abbs," he tried futilely. Clenching his fist, he was angry that he couldn't get the words from his mind to exit his mouth.

Abby shook her head, trying to imagine what he might be thinking. "Yeah, and you saved me."

"Quit saying that!" he snapped. "I didn't save you! I nearly got you killed!"

"You did the right thing by laying down your gun, Gibbs, even though I know it tore you up inside." She saw the anguish on his face. "He would have shot me if you hadn't."

Looking at the floor, he closed his eyes and his voice was quiet. "Abby, you don't get it."

"I'm trying. I'm trying really hard to get it!" She saw his eyes open and lift to her face, the pain in them pierced her heart, but he didn't speak. "God, Gibbs," she shouted and threw her hands into the air. "It sounds like you're blaming this on me! If it would have been someone else, you would have done things differently."

"There is no one else, Abby," he said, his blue eyes willing her to understand. "There won't ever be anyone else."

"How can you say that and then just walk away?" she pleaded softly.

"I'm not walking away. I hope we'll always be friends."

She felt desperation clawing at her heart. "I want more."

"Not now, Abby, and don't ask me when. We'll get past this and we'll be okay."

Abby shrugged her shoulder as a tear slid down her cheek. "Maybe."

Gibbs felt his gut wrench at the sight of that single tear. He wondered if he truly had to do this? Why couldn't he just wrap his arms around her and kiss the tears away. He knew why, damnit! Abby would be in danger if they were together. He knew it was all his fault that Ripolla had held her hostage. "I'll be back in about a half hour to pick you up. Okay?"

"Don't bother. Derek said he would pick me up on his way in to work." She had dreaded telling him this, but now she didn't feel so awful doing it. She knew the words would sting, but she couldn't summon her feelings to care right now.

Nodding, he pulled the door open. "Alright. I'll see you at work, then. Be sure and lock this behind me."

Abby watched him walk out and away from what she had desperately wanted for the past two years. She had fallen in love with him six years ago, but the last two had been the hardest to keep her feelings hidden. Her body actually ached with how intensely she wanted him, but now he knew how she felt and he just wanted to be friends. It felt like she had been kicked in the stomach as a sob broke from her throat. Sliding the lock into place, she leaned against the door, trying to control the hurt that her heart was breaking with. Her worst fear had come true. She had revealed her feeling towards him and he wanted only friendship. She didn't know if she could continue to be around him and just be friends.

After arriving at work, Gibbs waited an hour before venturing down to see Abby in her lab. He wanted to make sure she was okay after their talk this morning. The anguish in her eyes when he had left, had made him feel like a bastard, but he felt right in what he was doing, in the decision he had made. The music in her lab vibrated to the very pit of his stomach and he considered it heartening to know she wasn't just sitting in silence and misery. Hopefully, her feelings for him weren't as strong as what he had imagined.

Stepping over to her stereo, he pushed the off button, but Abby didn't turn around from the job she was doing. "You working on something for Johnson's team?" he asked, moving close to her right elbow.

"Agent Balboa," she responded without looking up.

He watched her adding samples of something into test tubes before setting the large Caf!Pow in his hand onto her table. It was then that he noticed she already had a large cup of the beverage near her left elbow. "Thanks," she responded, grabbing the drink and depositing it on a shelf in the refrigerator to keep cool. Back at her work station, she lifted the other Caf-Pow and drank long and hard from the straw. Eventually she put it down and went back to her work while explaining, "Derek got me that on the way in this morning. That was nice of him, don't you think?"

Gibbs heard the bite in her tone and rolled his eyes. He could see that Agent Moen was slowly ingratiating himself into Abby's life and now it was beginning to really bug him. He knew the man was nothing but a fake and a kiss-ass with a big mouth. He wondered why Abby couldn't see that; why she was letting a man like that hang around her?

"Is there something I can do for you, Agent Gibbs?" Abby asked, swinging round to look at him for the first time since he had walked in.

Her face was devoid of emotion, not even an underlying smile or even a sparkle in her eye. She was looking at him as though she loathed him. He could see that it was going to take a while for them to get back on track with their normal friendship. "No," he answered and headed for the door. "I'll be at my desk."

Gibbs stalked to the elevator and the doors opened just as he pressed the button. Agent Moen was about to step out when he instead made eye contact with Gibbs and retreated a couple steps. Moving into the small cubicle, Gibbs punched the button for the third floor and wondered why the junior agent wasn't exiting. The doors closed and as the elevator started to rise, Moen reached over and flipped the emergency stop switch, bathing them in blue light and silence.

Shaking his head slightly, Gibbs turned to face the man. "Something on your mind, Agent Moen?"

He held Gibbs' gaze. "You need some advice regarding Abby."

Flipping the switch back on, Gibbs snarled, "I don't need any damn advice from you."

Moen flipped the switch off again and Gibbs wondered if the man had gone insane. "I've got something to say, that you need to hear, Agent Gibbs."

Clenching his fist, he glared at the taller man. Did he have a death wish? Did he seriously think that he was going to give a damn about anything he had to say? And talking about Abby was out of the question!

"Abby was very upset when I picked her up this morning," Moen began boldly, "but she wouldn't say exactly why. However, I know it's because of you." He leaned casually back against the railing. "You're no good for her, Gibbs…"

"Agent Gibbs," he ground out.

"She thinks she's in love with you, and you keep giving her false hope."

"I've heard enough, Agent Moen," he said reaching for the emergency switch.

"I'm not done yet, Agent Gibbs," the younger man said gruffly, moving in front of the button panel, blocking Gibbs' hand from the switch. "Everyone knows that you've said she's your favorite. Hell, even she's said it. Then you give her cheek kisses and hugs. What do you think goes on inside a woman's head when a man shows that kind of affection?" Moen's smirk changed to one of disgust. "If you're not going to give her what she wants, then you need to back off and let her be happy with someone else."

Calmly, Moen turned and flipped the switch. "Leave Abby alone. You've hurt her enough."

When the doors opened on the third floor, Gibbs stepped out then turned and slammed his hand against the doors, to keep them from closing. His voice was low and threatening. "You just stepped over a line, Moen. I'm not going anywhere and if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from Abby." The young agent gave him a sneer as he released the doors and Gibbs felt something uneasy in his gut. He stormed into the bullpen, only to find that his team was gone and there was a note on his desk that they had been called out on a case.

Closed within the elevator, Moen gave a soft deriding laugh at the response from the senior agent. He felt extremely good about what he had told the man and it was even better getting the reaction that he had. Now he returned to Abby's lab with high expectations of what lie ahead for the two of them. He couldn't get her sparkling green eyes and ivory smooth skin out of his head. For some reason, she had feelings for the demanding older agent, but Moen was ready to show her that he was all she really needed. He had been drawn to Abby since the day he had become an agent, five years ago. But as a probie, he had felt intimidated by Agent Gibbs. He was now a seasoned field agent and he felt more than ready to go after what he wanted, and he wanted Abby. She was vulnerable right now, which was perfect. He had saved her life, which was also perfect. Events were coming together, so he knew he had to take advantage of the opportunity. He had waited long enough.

Abby was sat at her desk and looked up at him when he entered. He thought he even saw a small smile tug at her beautiful lips. _She's trying to hide just how happy she is to see you, _the tiny voice in his head told him_. _ "Do you have the composition results from that unknown substance yet?" he asked, closing in on her space.

"I told you this morning, I wouldn't have anything until this afternoon," she answered and didn't like the way he had moved in so close, towering over her. She felt trapped.

Moen read the look on her face and moved to the side of her desk, where he sat on the edge. "How about we go to a movie tonight," he stated with confidence. _She's going to say she's busy, but she's just playing hard to get._

Abby's eyes dropped to the top of her desk and she suddenly felt nervous. There was no way she wanted to go out with this guy again and what he had said just now wasn't a question. It was more like a statement, a demand. "I'm busy tonight."

Disappointment welled in Moen's chest and his eyes darkened for a brief second. _Oh, sweetheart, we don't need to play these silly games._ "Doing what?" he asked, keeping his tone light and cheerful.

"Ummmm, it's my bowling night with the nuns."

_Oh, this is so easy. She'll be sharing my bed in no time. _"Did I ever tell you that I went to a Catholic school? Mind if I tag along tonight?"

Biting on her bottom lip, she didn't know what to say without being too harsh. "I guess not."

_Score! Just one more little detail. _"What time should I pick you up?"

Abby stood and walked into the outer lab, hearing him follow right behind her. "I'll meet you there. The Strike Time Bowling Lanes."

"Abby," he admonished. "Why should we both drive when you're right on my way and we can go together."

She knew he was right and her hearse had been acting up lately and she guessed she could endure a short car ride with him. "Seven o'clock," she finally stated.

He gave her a wide happy smile. "I'll see you then." Quickly leaning forward, he planted a soft kiss on her cheek, then turned and left.

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I think it's time I get this story finished. A few more chapters to go.

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><p>Tony was irritated when he walked into the bullpen followed by Ziva and McGee. Dropping his bag by his desk, he didn't bother sitting but walked towards Gibbs. "What the hell is going on? Why were we called off the case?" The three agents had just spent two hours at the scene where a Navy officer had been brutally beaten. The man was at the hospital in a coma.<p>

"Conference room, now," Gibbs responded, looking up at his SFA. He watched his team walk away, talking softly to one another, then he reached for his phone and dialed the NCIS lab. When Abby answered, his voice was very abrupt as he demanded her presence in the conference room, also. After dropping the phone into its cradle, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to his morning encounter with Abby. The way she had looked fresh out of the shower; bright green eyes, clear flawless skin without makeup, and her damp hair, undone and curling around the edges of her face. She had the most natural beauty he had ever seen.

It had been hard for him not to act upon his feelings for her, especially when her alluring scent wafted around him and he caught a glimpse of the soft skin on her breast. He had been so damn distracted and had been tempted to lean in and kiss her. Just thinking about it now was causing his blood to heat and his pulse to quicken. If he had kissed her, he would have continued to disrobe her and explore her soft curves with eager hands. He could imagine her whimpering as he touched her and stripped her bare. His hand would have slipped between her thighs and she in turn would have tugged his clothes free. Together they would have… suddenly his phone rang, breaking into his fantasy and he raked a hand through his short hair to clear his mind.

What on Earth was he doing sitting at his desk thinking about Abby? Fantasizing about her, no less! He had never allowed his lustful thoughts of her to wander into his workday. Only in the privacy of his home when he showered or went to bed, did he permit his desire for Abby to come to the forefront of his mind. His phone stopped ringing before he picked it up and with determination he pushed Abby to the back of his mind, grabbed the small stack of files in front of him and went to join his team.

The small group of four was sat dispersed around the large table and he took a seat at the end. "Director Vance has assigned a high priority case and it's for the ears and eyes of this group only." A folder was passed to each member and for several minutes they read over the information in silence.

Gibbs let his eyes fall to Abby and he wondered how he could push her from his mind when she sat right in front of him. Leon wanted her working closely on this case with his team, as if she were a fifth member. Gibbs could feel his mind starting to wander again because she sat there looking so damn appealing, but it seemed he was the only one being affected by her presence. Her elbow was on the table with her head resting on her hand. Absentmindedly, she was running her fingers through the pigtail that hung over her cheek. He knew what her thick silky hair felt like and his fingers twitched as his eyes hazed over.

As Abby read through the file, she sensed Gibbs' gaze upon her. It was disconcerting and she had to fight to keep her mind on what she was reading. While the others were still engrossed in the case file, she slowly turned her head to look at him and saw an unguarded expression of desire in his dark blue eyes. There was no mistaking the dreaminess in his gaze and he seemed to be far away with his thoughts.

"Boss?" McGee's voice brought Gibbs' back to the present and he found Abby staring straight at him. He could see by the soft look on her face that she knew what had been going through his mind. "Boss?" McGee's voice questioned again.

Gibbs jerked his gaze across the table. "What?" he demanded, his voice more harsh than he had intended.

"Um, says here that someone is using an NCIS server to harass military families," he stated as his eyes darted to Abby then back to Gibbs.

"The G1 server," Abby clarified, while looking directly at their leader, but he didn't shift his eyes in her direction. The expression on Gibbs face had quickly returned to its normal grim demeanor, but Abby knew what she had seen. His blue eyes had been dark with desire that had melded with a distant stare. Abby was almost certain about what he had been imagining; he wouldn't have been looking at her like that otherwise. Gibbs didn't meet her eyes until she cleared her throat and continued, "It's the server used to store all employee personnel files and payroll data." It didn't go un-noticed to Abby how confused Gibbs seemed to be. She was tempted to shake him up some more by winking at him, but she knew she didn't dare.

Gibbs dropped his gaze to the file in front of him, ran a hand over the back of his head, and grit his teeth. He couldn't figure out what the hell was going on with his concentration. He desperately needed to get a grip and keep his mind on work and work only! Equally disturbing was the fact that Abby had caught him and he hadn't been able to conceal the look on his face fast enough. An internal anger started to flare and he had to fight against slamming a fist to the tabletop. This was going to add to the awkwardness between them and he had only himself to blame.

Tony drew his attention back to the case. "This doesn't sound good, boss. Is it someone working here at NCIS?"

Gibbs looked to McGee for further explanation. "Not necessarily. Could be someone from the outside who's hacked into the server and is using it to bury their trail. But if they're targeting military families, then they must be using records from the server itself."

"Or they've hacked into some of the other servers, too," Abby added, her eyes flitting from her file to Gibbs and back.

Tony looked from McGee to Abby. "This sounds serious, boss."

"Ya think, DiNozzo? I want you and Ziver interviewing the families that have come forward so far and reported being harassed. Abby and McGee, I want you two working on finding out how many servers have been compromised and finding out who's doing this." His eyes glared at Abby but she only glanced at him and nodded. Standing up abruptly, Gibbs indicated that the meeting was over but as the team filed out, he kept one of them behind. "DiNozzo, stay and shut the door."

McGee descended the stairs to the bullpen with the two women and spoke to the agent who was ahead of him. "You were awful quiet in there, Ziva."

"I do not understand about servers and hackers but I did gather that this is a matter of security, yes?" she asked, sitting behind her desk.

Abby sat in Tony's chair while McGee sought his own seat. "It's a cybercrime," Abby answered.

"What is the motive?"

"Depending on how much information this person has obtained, it could just be harassment," Abby explained. "But it could lead to blackmail, extortion, identity theft, or even personal obsession and stalking."

McGee was pounding the keys on his computer but stopped to add, "They're using a server in a federal building which also compromises security systems throughout the government."

"Terrorists," Ziva stated.

McGee nodded. "We can't rule anything out at this point."

McGee and Abby decided to work their angle from the computers in the lab and headed for the elevator. When they stepped into the lift, Tony jogged up and held the doors open. "I need to talk to Abby alone, Probie. Take the stairs."

"You take the stairs," McGee responded with annoyance.

Grabbing the younger agent's arm, Tony pulled him from the elevator then stepped in beside Abby. "Take a hike, McStepper."

After the doors had closed on a very irritated McGee, Abby turned to Tony. "That wasn't very nice."

"He's gonna be sitting at a computer for the rest of the day. I'm just looking out for his health." Reaching over, he flipped the emergency stop switch. "What gives between you and the bossman?"

Abby stepped back against the wall, her eyes not leaving Tony's face. She wondered if he had seen Gibbs' distraction. Had Tony been able to decipher that expression? In most cases, she could usually read all of Gibbs' expressions and the one on his face during the meeting had been very clear. "Did he say something to you? Is that why you two had your own private meeting?"

"I saw a couple looks passing between the two of you in the meeting," he responded without answering either question. "That last glare he threw at you didn't look good. He's mad about something and…"

"He's always mad about something," she interrupted, trying to dissuade Tony from the topic.

"The team always suffers when you two don't get along." Silence ensued as Abby dropped her eyes to the floor. Apparently Tony thought she and Gibbs were having an argument of some kind.

"He's shutting me out and taking the blame for Ripolla taking me hostage," she finally conceded quietly.

"Ripolla was an enemy of his, so of course he's gonna feel responsible," Tony acknowledged then stepped forward and rested his hands atop Abby's shoulders. "And what do you mean, he's shutting you out?"

Her mind suddenly centered on the passionate encounter she and Gibbs had shared just days before. They had been engulfed by heat, lust, and desire, so it truly boggled her mind that things could cool off so quickly between them. But she had to remind herself that she was dealing with Gibbs here. The man was a master at keeping his personal feelings hidden. Tony was waiting for her response, but she knew there was only so much she could share with her friends. "Like you said, he feels responsible and probably a little guilty. You know Gibbs, he takes everything on his shoulders whether it's reasonable or not."

Tony moved to put an arm around her shoulders. "Give him time, Abbs. He needs to settle his mind about everything that happened with Ripolla." After giving her a brief hug, he reached over and flipped the switch back on. "So, what are your plans for tonight?"

"It's supposed to be my bowling night but I expect we'll be working extra late on this case," she answered despondently. "Which is probably actually a good thing. Then I won't have to spend the evening with Derek… Agent Moen."

"When did he become a nun?"

Abby nudged him in the shoulder and chuckled. "He invited himself along with me tonight so he's driving me there then back home."

"Sounds like a hot date," Tony said with a teasing glint in his eyes. "You, Agent Moen, and the nuns. Guess you two will have to behave yourselves."

"Ewwww, Tony, he's creepy," she responded, scrunching up her face. "I've never liked the guy but ever since he saved me from Ripolla, he's been hanging around a lot. I wish he would just go away."

"You want me to have a talk with him?"

"No, but thanks. It's no big deal about tonight, I guess, and then I think he'll leave me alone." The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. "Otherwise I'll say something to him."

Tony gave her a grave look. "You let me know if he doesn't go away."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "I will, and he's probably not such a bad guy. After all , he's a special agent, so I should feel safe around him."

"Ziva and I gotta head out," he responded as she stepped out of the elevator. "But I'll see ya later, Abbs."

Late in the afternoon when Gibbs found out there was a mountain of emails that needed to be printed and sorted before his team could pursue the cyberstalker, he turned that job over the communications department and sent his team home for the night. Everyone was surprised but pleased and bolted from the building before he could change his mind. However, the last order he issued was for them all to return at 0600.

So it was at 7:15 that Abby was preparing to go bowling and just finished re-doing her makeup when there was a knock on her apartment door. Seeing the time, she grumbled that Moen was early but when she opened the door, there stood Tony. "Hey, nice outfit, Abbs," he greeted, looking her up and down closely. She wore her usual bowling outfit of a blue skirt and pink blouse, both with black trim.

"What are you doing here? I'm just about ready to leave." Turning, she went back down the hall to her bedroom to finish getting ready.

Tony stepped inside and closed the door. "Yeah, I know," he said in a loud voice. "I thought I'd go with you."

There was a length of silence before Abby appeared and hurried into the kitchen. Two pans of fresh baked cookies sat on pans and she started scooping them into a shallow dish. "I don't have time for this, Tony. You've never gone bowling with me. What's going on?"

"I didn't expect to have tonight off and it's not right for me to be sitting at home alone. So I'm going to cheer for you and the bowling nuns!" he said with enthusiasm.

Abby rolled her eyes as she snapped a lid over the cookies. "Since when have you ever wanted to spend an evening with bowlers, let alone nuns?" Walking past him, she pushed the cookie container into his hands and went to a small hall closet. "Is it because of what I said earlier about Moen?"

He watched her pull out her bowling ball and bag. "No," he answered without conviction and watched her heft the bag then walk towards him with a glare. "Well, maybe a little." Reaching for the bowling bag, he held out the cookies. "Switch?"

Taking the cookies from him, she tilted her head and gave a sympathetic look. "You sure it's nothing else? We can talk later if you want."

Together they left the apartment and Abby locked the door. As they descended the stairs, Tony spoke, "Good idea. I'll find out what this Agent Moen's intentions are and give you all the dirty details when we get back."

She gave him a light shove to the side of the shoulder. "I don't like the sound of that, but go ahead. I've got more cookies and milk for later, when we talk."

Tony smiled and they were silent the rest of the way out to the street where Derek Moen was pulled up, waiting inside his idling car. Tony opened the passenger door for Abby then slid into the rear seat and Moen turned, looking over his shoulder at him. "What's he doing here?"

Abby saw and heard his irritation. "He's a sub on our team," she answered and Tony snorted.

Moen looked at her sharply. "I thought it was a women's league."

Looking straight ahead through the window with her hands folded in her lap, she answered, "We don't discriminate."

Tony flashed Moen his smile when the man looked back at him again. "They like me because I have never left the five-pin standing. My ball rolls straight as an arrow and all the ladies love watching my technique."

Moen rolled his eyes, gave a dour look, and pulled away, headed for the bowling alley. The evening he had planned with Abby was now messed up and he bristled internally. He had so wanted Abby to himself tonight, but with DiNozzo along, he would have to make plans for another night. Tonight was going to be painfully long with no reward at the end. He could have endured the nuns and the bowling if it meant getting some time alone later with his girl. And Abby was his girl. He had plans for the two of them, plans for their future together. He began to settle when he decided that another night of observing Abby in a comfortable environment would benefit his ultimate goal.

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

At the bowling alley, Abby greeted the nuns and her friends on the other teams. The large group of women wasted no time getting their lane assignments and starting their friendly competition.

Derek Moen chose to sit at a small table directly behind Abby's team. The only thing on his mind was observing Abby, her friends, and their interaction. For about ten minutes he was absorbed within his own element before Tony slid a gooey pizza onto the table and placed a large pitcher of beer beside it.

"Hungry, Derek?" Tony offered as he took a seat across the table. He pulled a slice of pizza from the round pan, stringing hot cheese across a napkin and when he took a bite, the heat in the food nipped at his tongue. Tony quickly poured himself a cup of beer, taking several gulps of the cold liquid.

Moen watched him passively as irritation rolled through his entire body. "No thanks," he responded calmly. "I don't drink beer either."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Guess it'll be up to me and Abby then to finish this off."

"Abby drinks beer?" Moen questioned.

"She loves beer."

Slowly reaching to his inside breast pocket, Moen removed a small notepad. After flipping through several pages, he quickly scribbled down a new notation.

Leaning across the table, Tony peered at the notepad. "What's that? Your grocery list?"

Moen quickly pulled the small tablet against his chest. "It's private."

"Oh, private grocery list," Tony mumbled, sitting back in his chair.

Abby bounced up to the rail that separated their table from the bowlers. "Pizza and beer!" she exclaimed, leaning forward to snag a small piece. "I like having you along, Tony," she grinned as he handed her a cup of beer.

Feeling left out, Moen cleared his throat. "You're having a good game, Abby."

"It's only the fourth frame," she responded with a shrug, then dropped her voice. "The other team is so slow. We're going to be here a little longer than usual tonight, guys."

It was nearly three hours later before the three got back to Abby's apartment. The two men had barely spoken all night and there was a definite tension between them. Humming to herself, Abby went down the hall to her bedroom to change, Tony grabbed a magazine and dropped onto the couch, as Moen sat opposite him, glaring.

"I don't know what your game is, DiNozzo, but why don't you head home. I'd like to spend some time alone with Abby." Moen spoke pleasantly but his eyes were dark and menacing.

Tony flipped through the magazine. "Abby promised me milk and cookies."

Moen sat back and groused, "Whatever. You've already ruined our date."

Tony raised his gaze with a look of hurt. "If you would've told me we were on a date, I would have let you hold my hand," he joked and tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. "I would have done my hair and wore something nicer, too." Chuckling, he went back to his magazine.

"Such an ass," Derek said softly, shaking his head.

Coming out of the bedroom, Abby stood between the two special agents. She had changed into cozy pajama bottoms with an oversized black t-shirt adorned with a large white bat on the front. Looking from one to the other, she smiled. "Milk and cookies for everyone? Or I have tea, lemonade, coffee, water, hot chocolate…."

Moen stood and walked past her towards the door. "I'm going." When she turned to face him with a puzzled look, he continued, "Thanks, but I've got an early day tomorrow."

"Oh. Okay, Derek. I'm glad you came along and thanks for the ride." She stepped closer as he opened the door. "Maybe I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Hearing those last words, he seemed to brighten and leaned in to give her a soft kiss on the cheek, whispering, "Probably."

Abby cringed inwardly and when the door was finally closed behind him, she swiped at the wet spot on her cheek. "Ewww. I hate it when he does that."

Tony swiveled on the couch and looked at her with a huge grin. "I really think he likes you. He thought you guys were on a date tonight."

Abby physically shuddered and headed for the kitchen. "A date? He told you that?"

Tony pushed off the couch and followed behind her. "Mmmm. Said I ruined your date. The guy seems nice but there's always this strange look in his eyes."

"I've noticed that, too!" she responded. "That's what's so creepy. It's like his expression doesn't match the words coming out of his mouth." She poured two glasses of milk and put some cookies onto a small plate. Together they settled onto the couch and put their feet up on the coffee table. "I guess I'll have to set him straight tomorrow," she said around a bite of cookie. "I'm glad you were here tonight."

Tony shifted closer on the couch. "Yeah, it was a good time. Sister Mary Louise is a hoot!"

They continued talking about the bowling and the nuns until their glasses were empty and the cookies were gone, then Tony carried the empty dishes into the kitchen. "I'm going to head home, Abbs. You gonna to be okay here tonight?"

As soon as he turned from the sink, Abby enveloped him into her arms. "I'll be fine. Thanks for tonight, Tony. It was nice having you along and a relief not to have Derek here all alone."

Pulling back, Tony looked down into her sleepy face. "Gotta start telling the guy, no. You don't have to put up with him. Just say no."

The thought that the man had saved her life flitted through her mind. "I will. From now on." She walked him to the door and locked it behind him.

When Tony stepped out onto the sidewalk, he looked across the street at a black sedan, brushed his finger along the side of his nose then walked in the opposite direction towards his own vehicle.

Gibbs watched DiNozzo walk away from Abby's building, just as he had watched Moen earlier. During his private meeting with Tony, he had confided in his senior field agent about his concerns regarding Derek Moen. DiNozzo had seemed surprised at first but quickly conceded that if there was a chance that Abby may get into some trouble with the guy, then he was more than willing to step in and run interference.

Gibbs wanted nothing more than to personally get in Moen's face, but Abby was upset with him enough and he needed more time and space away from her. Besides, there were other matters he had needed to see to after work, and Tony cared about Abby like a big brother.

Gibbs figured Abby was probably headed to bed when he knocked on her door. It had been a grueling evening for him, so he just hoped she would let him in without any trouble. When the door opened, neither of them spoke, but he could see that she was ready for bed. Silently, she stepped aside and he strode towards her kitchen. It hadn't gone unnoticed to him, though, how lovely she looked with her hair down and her makeup gone. If he had let himself, he could have stepped into her comfortable arms and enjoyed a warm luxuriant hug. It was something he dreamed of every night when he usually went home to an empty house. To be able to go home to Abby every night was what he thought of as his impossible dream.

After shrugging out of his jacket, he poured himself a cup of coffee then sat at her small kitchen table. She hadn't followed him and he wondered if she had gone on to bed. It's what she had done the previous night. So when she did walk into the kitchen, his heart gave an extra thud at the possibility that she may actually join him. They still didn't speak as she prepared a small plate of cookies and set it on the table.

Taking a seat opposite him, she noticed that Gibbs had removed the jacket that had been over his blue polo. Her eyes skittered across his chest where the shirt was pulled a bit tight, then her gaze drifted down to his biceps, where the short sleeves were stretched around the prominent muscles. His bare solid forearms were next and she felt her heart flutter when she thought of smoothing her hands up the length of his arms and having them wrap around her. She was quite sure that she could sit here all night just looking at him while imagining slowly undressing him.

When he lifted his cup to his mouth, she was shaken out of her thoughts and asked softly, "What are you doing here, Gibbs?"

"Didn't want you to be alone tonight."

Abby could see the exhaustion on his face and in the way he sat staring into his mug. "You don't have to be here," she said, knowing he would probably get a better nights rest at home. "I'm doing fine now," she continued. "I didn't have any dreams last night and I don't expect any tonight."

The possibility of nightmares wasn't the only reason he was spending the night, but he wasn't ready to tell her of his concerns about Moen. Gibbs really didn't think that the man would come back during the night, but he had an uneasy gut feeling about him. "Wanna make you feel safe, Abbs. Is there a problem with me using your couch?"

She reached across the table and put her hand atop his. "You always make me feel safe, but you look dog-tired."

Reaching forward with his other hand, he turned her palm up then began lightly tracing her fingers. "Just finished a three hour meeting in MTAC."

She was surprised to see how easily he moved his right arm and her eyes widened. "When did you get your stitches removed?" Of course she hadn't noticed that detail while practically drooling over him just seconds ago.

"After work."

Her eyes lingered over the pink scar line before drifting once again along his bare muscled arms to where their hands were still joined. Feeling tingles rush up her arm and down her spine as his light touch traveled over her hand, she had to fight to keep her voice steady. "How does it feel?"

"The joint's a little stiff and sore, but it's healed. I just need to work it back into shape."

Abby gave a hopeful grin. "I could help you with that."

His eyes lifted to hers and he felt some of the tension leave his body. He could only imagine what type of therapy she had in mind and by the look on her face, she would like to help him exercise the elbow right now. But Gibbs was determined to maintain their friendship, even if it killed him. Pulling his hands back, he lifted his cup and took a couple swallows of the cooling coffee.

When Abby could see that he wasn't going to respond, she upped the ante. "I could also help you with those thoughts you were having today during the meeting."

Gibbs nearly choked on his drink but swallowed hard. "Don't think you can get inside my head," he admonished sternly, hoping to convince her that she was completely wrong. "This new case has a lot involved."

Gently she pulled his hand away from his cup and placed it palm up so she could trace his fingers and calluses. She knew he hadn't been thinking about the case, just as she wasn't thinking about it now. There was a faint scar near his thumb that her fingertips glided over. His hands were what she dreamed about while lying awake in bed at night. She imagined his long fingers skimming down her arms and legs, over her breasts, between her thighs. She was lost in her erotic thoughts when Gibbs spoke again.

"You're a target for my enemies," he said in a voice that had suddenly deepened. Gibbs briefly closed his eyes and bit back a groan at her sensuous touch.

Crossing her legs to try and quell her body's response to her thoughts, she had to force herself not to pull back and to keep her voice gentle. "Add those to my own enemies, it's a wonder I can step outside my door." But suddenly his attempt this morning at explaining his withdrawal made a lot more sense. Pieces of the puzzle began to slowly fit together. "Gibbs," she whispered, "keeping me at a distance won't keep me safer."

"It might. If you're not with me, it won't be so obvious that they can get to me through you."

Sliding off her seat, Abby knelt beside his chair and held his hand, looking up into his face. "But that means letting your enemies take me from you now. You're going to let them control who you can be close to?"

Lifting his hand to her cheek, he rubbed his thumb along her jaw. "I wouldn't survive if I lost you, Abby."

"You're not going to lose me," she whispered. "I won't let you push me away, either."

Gibbs moved his eyes to roam over the table top. Just the thought of Abby dying made his mind reel; he was in love with her. His eyes drifted back to her face. "I can't, Abbs," he responded slowly. "You mean everything to me and I've decided that just being friends is best."

The look in his blue eyes took her breath away but yet he was serious about just being friends. Abby bristled inside and she wanted to kick his ass out the door right now! _HE had decided!_ Dropping her chin, she took a deep calming breath. She knew that getting angry wouldn't help her. Gibbs could be just as stubborn and bull-headed as she was, so it wouldn't help for the two of them to go head-to-head. A spark of hope ignited in Abby's chest when she recalled something her Grammy Sciuto had always said. _You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar._

Lifting his hand to her mouth, she kissed over the back of his knuckles then looked up at him through her lashes. "Well, I've decided I want to be more than just friends," she said in a soft sultry voice. Licking her lips slowly, she could see that she was enticing Gibbs closer to the sweet honey she was offering. "Or we could be friends with benefits."

He watched her tongue slide slowly along her lips and he wanted nothing more than to drag her onto his lap and kiss her brainless. Instead, he quickly stood up and pulled Abby to her feet. "It's late. I'd appreciate a blanket and a pillow, if you have 'em."

Abby gave a heavy sigh but inside she was feeling almost giddy. She had definitely seen a response from him, but she wasn't going to push. "Alright, I can see you've made up your mind," she conceded outwardly while sending up a prayer of thanks to her Grammy.

Holding tightly to his hand, she pulled him down the hall and into her bedroom. "You'll sleep better here and I promise to stay on my side." As if to prove that she would adhere to what she had just said, Abby crossed to the far side of the bed and crawled under the covers, her back towards the middle of the bed. Gibbs stood for a minute contemplating his decision before shutting off the light and stripping down to his t-shirt and boxers. He too slid under the covers but lay on his back near the edge.

Abby raised her head and peeked over her shoulder. "Night, Gibbs."

"Night, Abbs." Even though he was exhausted, Gibbs couldn't keep his mind from going over Abby's words. His decision wasn't easy; it was complicated. But Abby had reasoned against his decision without actually arguing. She had given her viewpoint, her determination, in a calm and understanding way. Talking to her hadn't been a battle, either; they had shared, not argued. He didn't know how long he actually laid awake thinking of her, of them, and of a possible future together. Eventually, he rolled to his side and stared at her back, seeing it rise and fall in deep measured breaths. She had fallen asleep without moving an inch.

He could have easily reached out and touched her, but he didn't. A sweet fragrance mixed with her unique perfume drifted around him. Turning his nose into the pillow, he breathed in deeply, drawing her beautiful scent into his nose and lungs. His body was responding and he had to restrain himself from rolling closer to bury his nose into her dark thick hair that lay fanned out upon her pillow. He thought of pressing his lips against her neck and nibbling along her shoulder. He figured there was no way he was going to fall asleep while staring at her back but eventually his eyelids grew heavy and drifted shut.

"GIBBS!"

The scream jolted him awake and his eyes locked onto Abby's back as she now sat up in bed, holding her head in her hands and breathing like she had just run a race. Immediately he pulled up close to her side, his arms wrapping around her as his voice was low and soothing. "Sshhh, Abbs, I'm here. Sshhh, it's okay."

Turning within his embrace, she wrapped her arms around his middle and grasped the back of his shirt. She was trembling as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. "It was a dream," she whispered. "Tell me it was just a dream."

His hand ran softly up and down her spine. "What was it about?"

Swaying slightly, they sat holding one another for long minutes until her breathing started to settle and her trembling subsided. "You were angry," she started slowly. "You started walking away and I knew I would never see you again." Her arms tightened as she paused. "I yelled for you to come back, but you kept getting further and further away. You wouldn't turn around."

Soothing her some more, he placed soft kisses against her hair. "I'm here, Abby. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

><p>To be continued…<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Thank you for your patience between updates.

* * *

><p>One of Abby's hands slowly released the hold on his shirt and smoothed up his back until her fingertips ran along his hairline on the back of his neck. His hair was short and soft, his skin warm. Her touch grazed around his ear, then pulling back slightly, she ran a finger down the bridge of his nose. There was faint light in the room from a nightlight tucked back in a corner, so she couldn't see clearly the expression on his face, but he didn't pull away. His hot breath caressed her cheek as she trailed her fingertips along his rough jawline and over his chin, prickly with stubble. Her touch drifted down his neck and over his adam's apple which bobbed when he swallowed.<p>

Gibbs sat stock still as she touched him and his hands stilled upon her back. She was soft and warm from sleep and her fingers were sending tingles rushing over his skin. It was the middle of the night and he was still tired, but parts of him were suddenly awakening. When she shifted in his arms, he felt her soft curves press against his front. He knew he was going to let her go as far as she wanted; he had made that decision before he had fallen asleep. His heart pounded with anticipation as his mind melted from her nearness, her heavenly scent, and her agonizingly slow touches.

"You'll never leave me, will you?" she whispered.

"I'm here as long as you want me," he soothed, hoping she would actually take advantage of their close proximity.

Abby nuzzled her nose along his cheek, breathing in his masculine scent. "It's only ever been you, Gibbs. I've always wanted you." Near his ear, she flicked her tongue out and licked around the soft outer shell, grinning when she heard a soft moan escape from his throat. Forgetting all about her dream, all she could think of was how much she wanted him, and here he was in her bed, holding her, his hard body pressed against hers.

Pulling back, Gibbs brushed his lips lightly across her forehead. "I want you, too," he murmured, "but I want to keep you safe."

Tentatively, she brushed her lips across his in a feather-light kiss. "You always have and you always will. I know it. I feel it in my heart," she whispered, leaning forward before pressing her soft lips to his neck. "And I didn't mean what I said about being friends with benefits."

"Good," Gibbs said, giving a soft chuckle. "I'm not willing to be just friends anymore."

The vibration from his throat shot through Abby's lips, making her body almost tremble with anticipation. His whiskers were scratchy against her lips, but as her mouth roamed lower, the skin became smooth. She nibbled and kissed his neck from top to bottom, over the rough areas and onto the soft places. When a low moan escaped his throat, once again it vibrated against her lips and she smiled before nipping his neck, which elicited another longer moan.

Placing his hand under her chin, he lifted her face to his, their noses an inch or so apart. "Bout time we finished what we started, don'tcha think?" he stated quietly.

Abby's hand curled into the front of his t-shirt as her other hand left his back, allowing more space between them. Slowly she mapped his soft upper lip with her fingertips then ran her thumb temptingly across his full bottom lip. She traced them again and again, thinking of his rare smiles, his smirks when he thought something was funny, the firm lines when he was angry or impatient, and the one smile that he gave only to her. Countless times his lips had kissed her hair or her cheek with tenderness and comfort and praise.

Her hands fell to the hem of his white t-shirt as her lips brushed lightly against his and she whispered, "I want you, Gibbs." Pressing her mouth hard against his, their tongues tasted one another slowly as she lifted his shirt and they broke apart so she could slip it over his head then down over his injured arm. Her fingers grazed across the smooth skin of his inner arm to the scar on his elbow. "I don't want to hurt you," she stated hesitantly.

He gave a soft chuckle. "I won't break. The exercise will be good for it."

Her eyes lifted to his bare contoured chest and she ran her fingers through the sparse hair, seeking out his nipples, smiling when they hardened as her nails gently scraped over them.

"Abby," he moaned. "Don't stop."

She followed the path of his hair to his waist. "I'm not going to stop." Then her hands smoothed over his ribs and along the lines of his muscles.

As her touch skimmed over his skin, a fire started in the pit of his stomach. He had never imagined Abby being this placid and unhurried in bed. She was taking her time and it was nearly driving him insane. Desperate with desire, he took her face between his hands and kissed her firmly and hungrily. His tongue reached deep into her mouth then swept along the sides. As he kissed her, he coaxed her onto his lap, straddling his thighs. Her hands pressed against his shoulders, making him release her mouth and fall back onto the pillows.

Slowly and seductively, Abby grabbed the hem of her shirt and slipped it up over her head. His eyes were locked with hers before falling to her breasts. Surging up off the pillows, his mouth suckled at the base of her neck before trailing down to the tops of her breasts. Her hands laced into his soft hair and she guided his head to her nipple. He licked it into his mouth and sucked slow and soft then lavished it with his tongue. She moaned and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her other breast and he rolled the nipple between his finger and thumb. With her head thrown back, her chest was thrust forward and his mouth feasted on one breast and then the other.

Abby felt the zings of intense pleasure rush to her core as she clutched his hair in her hands. Eventually his mouth rose to capture her lips and as he fell back onto the bed again, she followed and lay on top of him, bare skin against bare skin. Gibbs gave a ragged moan and Abby whimpered in response. His hips thrust up against her again and again and Abby could feel herself losing control. She needed to feel more of him. She needed to feel his bare hot hardness against her wet folds and slowly she pulled away and off the bed where she pushed down her pajamas and panties. Gibbs was breathing heavily as he lifted his head and watched her and when he reached for his boxers, she pushed his hands aside and drew them off his long hard body. He snagged her hand to tug her back onto the bed but she took a moment to quickly reach over and switch on a bed-side lamp.

They looked at each other, both their faces full of wonder and desire and lust. Nothing was hidden behind darkness anymore and when she looked down on his long naked form, her heart swelled with happiness. Gibbs' hard muscled body lay on her bed waiting for her and she couldn't believe that she had the willpower to just stand there and devour him with her eyes. She had always imagined wasting no time in jumping his bones if given the opportunity, but this moment deserved to be savored.

Gibbs' dark blue eyes raked down over her slim naked body and he felt himself harden even further. He could hardly believe that she wanted him in every way possible. How had he gotten so lucky as to have his best friend become his lover, he wondered. She was taking her time and it was testing his last thread of reserve. He had only gotten a small sample so far of how her pale smooth skin felt and tasted and smelled. He felt as though he would burst if his body didn't reconnect with hers soon… very soon.

"Abby," he whispered and that made her move onto the bed where she would have lain beside him, but he guided her to her previous position of straddling his thighs.

His name slipped from her lips as she took his face between her hands and kissed him deeply then moved down his body with her mouth, tasting him and breathing him in. Everything that was Gibbs flooded her senses. Blue eyes, sawdust, coffee, growls, hardness and softness, rough and gentle. She kissed his eyes, his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, and his lips, over and over again. She had wanted him for so long and she wasn't about to rush past the moment. Her lips nipped at his jaw and down his neck before she settled on his collarbone where she bit and suckled hard enough to leave a mark.

Gibbs let her take all the control because his injured arm prevented him from rolling her over, but he was more than pleased with what she was doing. If his body had been a hundred percent healed, there was no doubt that he would have had them both sated by now and smiling like kids in a candy store. When she bit his collarbone, he groaned and took a moment to refocus before he pulled her head up to taste her again. He sucked her tongue and nibbled her lips then moved to her neck where his teeth scraped carefully before he nipped at her pulse point. She seemed to know what he wanted and she leaned over him so he could suckle and squeeze her breasts, his mouth and hands rough and gentle all at once.

Always, they came back to lock lips again and revel in the taste of one another. Her hands skimmed over his strong chest, fingers running through the soft silver hair. Her lips adored the smooth skin covering his rounded biceps before she nipped at the hard muscle beneath. Licking and kissing her way across his stomach, she felt his body shudder.

Gibbs felt Abby shiver as his touch travelled lightly down her arms. The feel of her soft breasts pressed against his chest made his stomach roll with desire. His hands lifted her hair away from her face and off her neck so he could tease her earlobes, lick her neck and nibble across her shoulders making her whimper and shudder.

Gibbs' hands glided down her back and lifted her hips and he thrust upwards as he lowered her onto him. Abby moaned from low and deep within her throat as he filled her completely. It was perfect and it was exactly what she wanted. He was hot and hard and gentle.

Gibbs forced his eyes to stay open so he could watch her as she wrapped around him so tightly. He released his breath in shaky shudders until she had taken him in as far as he could go. She was warm and wet and smooth.

Her green eyes were locked onto his blue ones with an intensity that threatened to stop his heart. She kissed his face as she rose and lowered over him, again and again. He kissed her sweet swollen lips as his hands steadied her hips.

"So long," she whispered to him.

"… What?"

"I've wanted this… I've waited… we've waited…"

"So long," he finished for her and groaned before pulling her into a wet open mouth kiss.

Her strong legs continued to move them together and apart. Her breathing and pace increased and Gibbs thrust his hips up as she came down, jolting their bodies and adding to the pressure that was building to explode.

Gibbs tightened as he struggled to wait for her, to bring her with him. "Abby… need you…" he panted.

"Gibbs," she groaned and her teeth nipped his neck as her release overcame her like a speeding locomotive. She bucked against him, the whimpers coming from her in union with his sharp grunts. His body jerked upward one more time as a groan ripped from his throat followed by the repetition of her name. She fell against him, breathing in great labored gulps, her eyes closed as her body continued to thrum and rejoice.

"Abby."

"Hmm."

"Are you okay?"

"MmHm." She pressed a soft kiss to his neck.

His hands were slowly caressing her back, her arms, and her hair.

They lay quietly for long minutes as their bodies settled. When she raised her head to look at him, she saw that he was smiling lazily, his eyes closed, with a look of utter satisfaction on his face. She kissed him softly upon the lips and his smile widened. "That was amazing," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Why didn't we do this days ago?"

Abby jerked her head up and looked at him with astonishment only to see the teasing grin on his face. "You're not an easy man to convince, Jethro."

He pulled her down into a long wet kiss. "Don't ever give up on me, Abbs," he finally breathed against her neck.

"Never. You're mine now."

Tony, Ziva, Tim, and Abby sat on the floor in the forensics lab sorting through boxes of emails. Three cartons of messages from the cyberstalker had been generated overnight from accounts belonging to military families.

Setting down a page she had just read, Ziva sighed. "These are all very disturbing. Must we read all of them?"

"We're looking for something out of the ordinary," McGee explained.

"None of these are very ordinary," Tony stated, dropping a page onto another pile and reaching into a box for the next one. "They're all creepy but they're not threatening."

"Don't have to be threatening to be illegal, Tony," McGee responded.

"I know that, McOrganizer, but do you really think we're going to find anything by looking through hundreds of emails?"

"Yes. There's got to be a clue in one of these that will lead us beyond the NCIS servers."

"Isn't there some kind of a back-trace you can put in place?" Tony looked across at Abby who had her head down, intent on an email. "Abbs, isn't there some kind of tracking that can be done through the computer?" When she didn't respond or look up, he reached over and snatched the paper out of her hands. "Something interesting there, Abby?"

"No, just another obnoxious email."

Tony smiled. "You didn't hear my question at all, did you? You've been awfully quiet this morning."

Looking around at her three co-workers, she saw they were all thinking the same thing. She hadn't been contributing to the conversation, so what was on her mind? There was absolutely no way she was going to tell them about her incredible night with Gibbs. God, that man was a stud! Hard lean muscle, soft thick hair, unshaven, giving him that rugged gruff sexy melt-in-your-shoes appearance. Her lips were sore from nibbling on his jaw and neck and her breasts were scratchy where his stubble had scraped.

The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was that he was tight against her back, his strong arm firmly around her waist. But by morning, they had separated and she had slipped out of bed without him knowing. She had wanted to stay, but they all had orders to report to work at 0600 and she wasn't going to take advantage of sleeping with the boss as an excuse to come in late. She knew that wouldn't be a good way to start their relationship and she was determined to be professional about it.

"Oh, sorry. What was the question, Tony?"

"Just wondering what you thought of Gibbs giving McGee the lead on this case."

"He hasn't given me the lead," Tim protested.

"Oh c'mon, Probie, you're the only one that could lead an investigation like this, besides maybe Abby. But she's not an agent."

"That's not true," McGee responded, but his lips tweaked a bit at the corners.

A wide grin creased DiNozzo's face and he started nodding. "Huh uh, huh uh! You almost smiled there, didn't you, McCoy?" Reaching out a finger, he poked at the corner of McGee's mouth. Pulling back, Tim slapped at his hand but Tony wouldn't back off until Tim had flung some of the emails at him. In return, DiNozzo threw some papers back and the two were quickly engrossed in their own harmless paper fight.

Ziva placed a hand behind her and leaned back, watching the two agents. "Who do you think is more mature, Abby? Tony or McGee?"

Abby gave a soft chuckle at her friend's question. "Well, we'd have to give them a little test, to be fair."

"A test to see who acts their age," Ziva responded with thoughtfulness. The male agents had quit throwing paper and McGee was trying to gather up the emails that had scattered across the floor.

Tony straightened his tie and ran a hand through his hair. "McGee is too full of himself and hasn't developed socially beyond the age of 16. Hardly adult status."

"You know, I could respond to that, but I'm not going to," Tim sneered. "I'm too mature to let a petty remark like that bother me."

"How 'bout a little test, guys," Abby broke in. "Ziva and I will decide who's more mature." Getting a nod from Tony and silence from Tim, Abby continued, throwing a slight wink at Ziva. "Okay, Tony, when you were in high school, did you ever get suspended or expelled?"

The special agent sat up straighter. "More than once," he said proudly. "I was caught kissing a girl. Something Probie was too pimple-faced and shy to know about back then."

"What about you, McGee?" Ziva asked.

Tony rolled his eyes as his counterpart responded. "Well, I was always an upstanding student and my father demanded that I obey and always put forth my best effort."

"Blah blah blah," Tony interrupted. "Yes or no."

"I went through a rebellious streak," Tim continued. "Albeit a very short one, but I did get expelled and my father had me work with our gardener for an entire summer as punishment."

"What did you do to deserve this?" Ziva asked.

Tim dropped his eyes as if embarrassed. "I hacked into the school computers and changed some grades for other students. They even paid me to do it."

Tony looked at his teammate with new interest. "Wow, that's not too shabby. What'd you do with the money?"

"I had to donate it to the local juvenile detention center where my father threatened to send me if I didn't help the gardener."

"Ouch. I'd say this point goes to McGee," Tony conceded.

"Next question," Ziva announced. "How well can you cook? McGee, you can go first."

"I use the microwave mostly. But I can make amazing granola and cookies. And I can make hobo stew over any campfire."

"Hobo stew?" Abby questioned.

"I learned it as a boy scout. How to make an entire meal for one person in a tin can."

Reaching over, Tony gave him a couple of pats on the back of his shoulder. "That's impressive. I bet all of your dates love that. I on the other hand am Italian AND a DiNozzo. Must I say more?"

The other three chorused together with, "Yes!"

"For my date last weekend, we had shrimp and pesto linguine. It was a toss-up between that or parmesan halibut." Ziva and Abby both groaned and licked their lips. "One of my favorite dishes is Brasato al Barolo, although I am partial to always sharing Rosticciana." He kissed the tips of his fingers with a loud smack.

McGee looked askance at his teammate. "Are you saying you cook those meals?"

"No, I order in," he responded then shifted his gaze towards Ziva and Abby. "If you ladies care to join me Monday night, we could share a sampling of all those dishes."

The two women looked at one another then back at Tony and answered in unison, "Point to Tony." McGee closed his eyes and shook his head.

Abby squinted at the two men. "What color is your bedroom?"

"Green and blue," Tony answered first.

"I've got dark brown furniture, beige walls, white ceiling with inset lighting, and a hardwood floor with a large cream colored rug," Tim responded.

Ziva and Abby smiled. "Point to Tim," Ziva declared. "Next question. Tony, when you go shopping, what do you buy?"

"Clothes, shoes, it's important that I look professional on the job."

Abby tilted her head at the other agent and smiled. "Timmy?"

"Books and computer games or books on computer games."

"You're such a geek, McGeek," Tony mumbled.

"And you're conceited," Tim shot back.

"Only when it comes to my clothes."

Tim was about to say more but Abby quickly cut in. "Point to Tony."

Ziva smiled. "It appears we are all strapped up."

Tony sighed. "Tied up."

"One more question as the tie-breaker," Abby proclaimed. "What is your favorite fruit?"

"What kind of a tie-breaker question is that?" McGee protested.

"It's a question," Abby stated indignantly. "Now answer it."

"What does fruit have to do with maturity? I want a different question."

Tony rolled his eyes and pushed to his feet. "McGee, I think you just failed the entire test."

Abby and Ziva quickly got to their feet and Abby looked at the agents. "Not so fast, Tony. You answer the question."

DiNozzo smiled pleasantly at the two ladies. "Strawberries."

Tim surged to his feet. "That's so typical. Strawberries and chocolate and champaign, it's what the ladies like. Sex has nothing to do with maturity, Tony," McGee accused.

The senior agent gave a puzzled look. "I didn't say sex, probie. I said strawberries."

McGee turned to Abby. "Cherries. I prefer cherries."

"Ohhh, is it because they remind you of a woman's nipples, McVirgin?" DiNozzo teased. "Cherries are closer to sex than strawberries. Maybe when you think of a cherry, you imagine sucking a woman's…"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked as he strode into the lab, making everyone jump. "Here's a list of more families that have been harassed by the cyberstalker," he stated, placing the paper on Abby's table. "You and Ziver go interview them."

"On it, boss." Tony grabbed the paper and the two agents hurried from the lab.

Gibbs turned to his remaining young agent. "McGee?"

"Boss?"

Gibbs' lips tightened into a grim line. "What've you got, McGee?"

"Uh, nothing so far, boss," he answered nervously. "But we haven't gotten through all the emails yet. I really think we'll find something eventually."

"Eventually? Eventually, McGee?" Gibbs asked with exasperation. "This maniac is terrifying woman and children. You've got two hours to get me something more concrete." He looked at the boxes and papers on the floor. "Take all this stuff to the conference room. I don't want it here where anyone coming in might see it. Have you even ruled out that it's an employee, McGee?"

The agent was knelt and scooping papers into the boxes. "No, boss."

Gibbs gave a deep sigh as he looked at the floor being cleaned up. When McGee finally stood, he had three boxes stacked in his hands so he could barely see to walk. Grabbing the top box, Gibbs set it on the table. "We'll have Abby look through this one." With a nod, Tim hurried from the lab.

When they were finally alone, Gibbs locked eyes with Abby but didn't move towards her. "I didn't expect to wake up alone this morning," he said gruffly.

"Abby tilted her head and smiled. "Boss said we had to be here at 0600. I didn't think it would look good if I was late."

"Could've woke me up."

Suddenly, she could tell that he was annoyed. "You're upset with me, aren't you?"

"I imagined our first morning to be a little different, yeah," he responded and headed for the door.

"Gibbs, wait," she said, following behind him. "You can't be serious. Are you serious?" He stopped at the elevator and pushed the button, giving Abby time to grab his arm and pull him around to face her. By the look on his face, she wondered if she had just blown it. "Please, Gibbs, don't end this before we've barely started."

His eyebrows furrowed. "End this? Abby, I'm not that upset," he said lifting a hand to her cheek. Her green eyes were filled with regret. "I was hoping for something a little different this morning is all."

Quickly she wrapped her arms around his neck and began giving him brief hard kisses. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled against his lips. "I'll make it up to you."

His hands grasped her face to hold her at bay. "There's nothing to be sorry about and you don't have to make anything up. I over-reacted. When I woke and you weren't there, I was afraid you had changed your mind about us."

When his hands released her, she pulled him into a tight hug and his arms went around her waist, pulling her snuggly against him. "No, Gibbs, never," she re-assured. "I really wanted to stay with you this morning, but I think we need to try and keep things professional here at work."

Tilting his head, his lips pressed against the side of her neck. "I agree."

"We just need to talk about this stuff before thinking the worst first," she stated, pulling back to look into his blue eyes.

Just then the elevator gave a ping and they sprang apart. When the doors slid open, Agent Derek Moen's eyes drifted from one to the other before he made a move to step out. Gibbs walked into the elevator and when he turned, he had a soft grin on his face as he signed, '_Almost got caught.'_

Abby buried a smirk and a giggle behind a serious face and level tone. "We'll finish this discussion later, Special Agent Gibbs." He only nodded once before the doors slid shut. With a bounce, Abby turned on her heel and headed back to her lab with Moen right beside her.

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><p><strong>AN:** To be continued…


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I've got most of the rest of this story already written, so updates will be posted more frequently. Thank you to everyone who continues to follow this story.

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><p>Abby was oblivious to Special Agent Derek Moen entering the lab behind her. Gibbs' visit has re-ignited thoughts of strong rough hands ghosting over her skin, blue eyes that penetrated directly to her soul, and soft lips that had explored practically every inch of her body.<p>

Her night with Gibbs had been amazing and seeing him just a moment ago, sent several different urges coursing through her body. He had made her feel wanted, needed, alive! And the man himself was… insatiable! His warm kisses, soft touches, and heated looks had continued into the night as she had drifted off to sleep. Then in the dark early morning hours, she had been deliciously pulled from slumber by a warm wet tongue skimming over her stomach as long fingers slipped between her thighs and hot breath heated more than just her skin. Gibbs had been slow and gentle in his exploration and he soon had her writhing and begging for release.

Thinking about it now was a mistake, but she couldn't help herself. He had gradually set her pulse pounding, her back arching off the bed, and a scream issuing from her throat as she came long and hard. She had never experienced such a lengthy drawn out release, but then again, she had never experienced Gibbs. She gave a soft snort and a smile at the thought.

Moen leaned against Abby's workstation with his arms crossed over his chest. A feeling of confidence and pride welled up inside of him because he could see that his hard work was paying off. Special Agent Gibbs had dominated Abby's affections for long enough without seeing that what she needed was a steady loving relationship and now he, the man who had saved her life, was going to have her. All of her.

Just then he saw Abby glance at him shyly with a smile on her face, making his heart soar. In that smile, he could see that she was happy to be with him. She sparkled and blossomed and positively glowed because he had captured her heart.

Tonight he planned on taking the next step in sealing their future together. He could imagine her reaction: first she would be stunned, then surprised, and finally she would be gloriously happy. He would draw her into a tight hug, kiss her beautiful mouth, and promise her the most gratifying life away from NCIS. He wanted to sweep her away from this grueling lab work, these uncivilized co-workers, and that demanding bastard, Gibbs. Oh yes, the further they could get away from Gibbs, the happier they would be. He had no doubt about that.

However, he had to take this one step at a time and not give anything away. He had to carry on as normal, so he casually asked, "What's Gibbs and his team working on?"

Abby's glittering eyes looked at him before trailing away across the room where the sparkle vanished before she answered, "I really can't say."

He nodded because it was the answer he had expected. His Abby wasn't one to gossip but he couldn't help getting a dig in on Gibbs' team. "I heard his agents were removed from a case yesterday because someone mishandled evidence."

Abby shot him a look with narrowed eyes. "That's not true!" she retorted. "The director gave them a more important case."

"Oh, really?" he scoffed. "Is that what they're saying?"

Her hands landed on her hips. "It's true!" she stated adamantly.

Derek admired that she was so loyal, but it irked him that she was standing up for the bozos on Team Gibbs. "How do you know?" he asked, hoping she would think about whom she was really protecting.

"Because," she started then bit her bottom lip. "… because McGee told me and he doesn't lie."

"Maybe," he replied, shrugging. At least he had planted a seed of doubt in her mind. "You feel like Chinese or pizza tonight?"

As if a winter breeze had just blown in the door, Abby felt a cold shiver go down her spine. Turning to her computer, she knew she had to stand up to him. Tell him she wasn't interested. Tell him she could only be his friend. Tell him she was seeing someone else. But when she opened her mouth to speak, all that came out was a weak, "What?"

Stepping forward, Moen placed his hands on the table on either side of her and dipped his head to her ear. His voice dropped low. "Dinner. Should we have Chinese or pizza?"

She had her back to him and her eyes jumped back and forth between the two strong arms that were keeping her from escaping. Nervousness welled up in her stomach. "I… I'm going to be working late tonight."

Derek's head drifted around to her other ear. "How late?" he murmured, pressing closer to her body.

Suddenly Gibbs' threatening voice broke the tension in the room. "Moen! Get the hell away from her!"

Derek muttered a curse under his breath before swinging round to confront their intruder. He didn't raise his tone but spoke matter-of-factly. "Abby and I are having a private conversation. Could you give us a moment?"

Gibbs' fists clenched at his side as his body practically shook with anger. The frightened look on Abby's face helped to fuel his rage and it was only because of her that he kept some sort of control. "No!" he responded with a fierce growl. "Now get out before I throw you out!"

More than anything, Derek Moen wanted a piece of Gibbs. He wanted to pound the egotistical crap out of him and make him scurry away like a frightened dog with his tail between his legs. But now wasn't the time or the place. Not in front of Abby. Boldly, Moen stalked towards Gibbs and stood toe to toe with him. "You wouldn't dare," he sneered.

In a fraction of a second, Gibbs had Moen's arm twisted up behind his back and pushed him out into the hall. He had wanted to shove him against the wall and wrench his arm to the breaking point, but Abby was pulling at his shoulders and arms from behind.

"Stop it!" she demanded and jumped between them when Gibbs finally released his hold. With a hand on her lover's chest, she forced him to back up a couple steps. "Don't do this," she pleaded, hoping just this once that he would drop it.

When she spun to face Derek, she nearly bumped into him. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him towards the elevator. "Please, just leave. Don't start something that could get you both fired," she implored and pushed the call button, not letting go of the tall agent.

Moen glanced back over his shoulder and saw his nemesis glaring at him. "What about dinner?" he asked, loud enough for Gibbs to hear.

The elevator doors slid open and Abby guided him inside. "We'll talk later," she said hurriedly. "Just go back to work." Once the doors had closed, she turned to face Gibbs, but he was gone. Going quickly to her lab, she saw him in the next room leaning over her desk, gripping the edges, and shaking it.

The glass door had barely slid shut before Gibbs rounded on her and shouted, "You should have stayed out of it! I don't want you around that guy anymore!"

Abby was pissed and advanced on him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "What the hell were you thinking? You can't go around man-handling other agents! The director could throw you out on your ass!"

Gibbs was more than surprised by her reaction and her poking finger annoyed him. He grabbed her hand before she could jab him again and demanded gruffly, "You are not having dinner with him! I won't let you!"

Jerking out of his grasp, her anger flared even more with him telling her what she could or couldn't do. "Outside of this building you're not my boss, so don't be telling me! You'll be lucky if he doesn't file harassment charges against you!"

"Let him," Gibbs responded roughly. "Then I'll finish what I started." Brushing past her, he strode towards the door but Abby saying his name softly brought him up short and he turned.

With tears glistening in her eyes, she threw herself into his arms. "Thank you," she whispered, as her lips brushed across his cheek, and she burrowed into his chest. Her anger of only a moment ago was rapidly dwindling and all she wanted was comfort, reassurance, and protection.

Gibbs wrapped her in his arms and nestled his face against her neck. It felt so good to finally hold her, feel her softness, and breathe in her familiar scent. She calmed him with just her presence. "You okay?" he murmured against her soft skin.

With her eyes closed, she rested her cheek against his, letting his solid bulk settle her nerves and she nodded in affirmation. She had been so frightened causing her to lash out at Gibbs, but now that he was holding her, she was never so grateful for his presence. What if he hadn't come in? What if Moen hadn't backed off? What if he returned? They held one another silently for several long seconds before Gibbs spoke again. "You're not having dinner with him."

"No, of course not," she answered quickly then pulled back just enough to gaze into his vivid blue eyes. "I'm saving tonight for a strong, totally hot, Marine." Her eyes smoldered with desire. "Sorry I didn't wake you this morning. I've missed you… missed this," she stated quietly, indicating their close proximity, their embrace. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his and Gibbs instantly deepened the kiss. His hand rose to the back of her head, his mouth shifting over hers as his tongue probed… stroked… probed. The intensity of it made her forget where they were and her hands began tugging his shirt free from his pants.

Pulling back, Gibbs grabbed her wrists to stop further movement. Her eyes remained closed, a pink flush of arousal covered her cheeks, and a smile slowly graced her swollen lips. He found it unbelievable that he was able to make her look so completely lost in the moment.

Her eyes flickered open to find him watching her, causing the flush to deepen and her voice to turn husky. "I don't care how late it is… I need you tonight."

A rush of desire coursed through his veins at the thought of another impassioned night with this beautiful woman. He couldn't help but let a smile tug his mouth sideways. "Thought you had plans with a Marine," he stated lowly.

Abby grinned. "Exactly," she replied with a breathy moan as she pressed her lips to his.

This time Gibbs kept the kiss short and pulled back reluctantly. "I thought we weren't going to do this here."

Lifting a hand, she outlined his lips with the tip of her finger. "I know," she sighed, "but you're so darn irresistible."

His eyes glanced towards the outer door. "Someone could walk in."

As a final gesture to prolong the moment, she smoothed her hands across his chest and down over his stomach. Encountering the solid contours of his firm muscles made it harder than ever to step away. "Okay," she conceded, "the sooner we get our work done, the sooner we can go home."

Gibbs pressed one more small kiss to her lips. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed, then released his hold and made for the door. Walking to the elevator, he didn't realize there was an extra bounce in his step. His mind was now focused on closing their current case so he and Abby could spend a long relaxed night together.

Just before the elevator arrived, his phone rang and he lifted it to his ear, giving his usual curt greeting. The call was brief but it changed his destination from the squad room to the conference room where his three agents were currently working. However, when he opened the door and stepped inside, a paper airplane glided smoothly across his line of vision before colliding with the wall. This didn't look like work to him and his gaze quickly sought out his senior field agent, who sat at the far end of the table. "DiNozzo!" he barked.

"Sorry, boss," Tony responded with embarrassment. "We were just floating around some ideas about the cyberstalker."

Gibbs glared at his agent for trying to add comic relief to his delinquent behavior. "You and Ziver come with me," he commanded as his eyes flicked over the paper strewn table where McGee sat, taking no notice of his presence. The young agent was deeply engrossed in study and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. By the looks of him, Gibbs could easily see that the cyberstalker case was not progressing.

Tony and Ziva followed him from the room and back to the bullpen while he explained the situation. "Donna Packard was just picked up and they're bringing her to us for questioning." Sitting behind his desk, he pulled a drawer open and extracted the thick file regarding the Scotty Ripolla case. "DiNozzo," he prompted.

Tony had just sat but jumped to his feet. "Pulling her file," he responded and yanked open the drawer on a tall black cabinet.

Gibbs' eyes fell to Ziva, but he didn't need to speak as she tapped the keys on her computer and nodded at the plasma, explaining, "This is her profile and background."

They spent the next hour going over the Ripper case one more time and reviewing Packard's involvement. How Ripolla had escaped from the Oklahoma State Prison was still under investigation. Jason Andrews had been sent back to prison for violating his parole and he was awaiting further sentencing for shooting a federal agent. Andrews had seemed relieved and even happy when he had been informed of Ripolla's death. They had no proof that Packard had helped the men in any way, they only knew that she had visited Andrews at his hotel room. But now that they had her in custody, Gibbs was determined to get her charged if she had so much as laid eyes on her half brother. That would mean she had failed to report an escaped convict and was an accomplice.

It was mid-afternoon when Donna Packard was turned over to the NCIS agents. Tony and Ziva stood in the interrogation observation room looking through the one-way mirror at the woman who wore a drab dark brown coat, unclean baggy jeans, and worn out shoes.

"They picked her up at a homeless shelter," Ziva stated. "She has been in D.C. for the past two weeks."

"That's about when Jason Andrews showed up," Tony added as he studied the bedraggled older woman. He tipped his head a bit as he watched her. "Where did she come from, originally?"

"Oklahoma. She visited her brother and Andrews at the prison regularly."

"Something isn't right with her," Tony observed thoughtfully.

Ziva's sharp gaze honed in on the scruffy looking woman. "What do you see?"

"Watch her mouth and the light tapping of her fingers."

Just then Gibbs entered the interrogation room, and Packard lifted her eyes to stare at him intently as he sat across from her. Pulling two photos from his file, he placed them on the table in front of her and her eyes looked from one to the other. Slowly her fingertips glided over the photo of Jason Andrews and she murmured his name before lifting the image and kissing it once, then twice. Setting it gently down again, she picked up the photo of her half brother and in an unexpected flourish, she ripped the picture into several pieces and brushed them onto the floor.

Gibbs silently observed her reaction to the pictures. Her eyes continued to stare at the photo of Andrews and slowly he reached forward, taking it away and tucking it back inside his folder. "You're a long way from home, Donna," he stated.

"Home," she murmured softly. "Need money to ride bus to Oklahoma." Her eyes lifted to Gibbs' face then shifted to the mirror behind him.

"What are you doing in Washington D.C.?" he asked patiently.

"D.C.," Donna murmured and gave a deep sigh as she continued to stare at the mirror. "Jason was here. Wanted to be with Jason. Traveled long time on bus to see him."

Gibbs studied the woman who looked ten years beyond her actual age of 53, and he tried to figure out if she was high on something or if she was playing a game with him. "How long have you known Jason Andrews?"

"Andrews," she repeated before dropping her eyes to her hands which were folded on top of the table. "Long time," she responded happily. "Jason and me love each other. We're going to get married." Her bright face suddenly fell. "Scotty said I can't get married. Scotty dead now so we get married." She lifted troubled gray eyes to look at Gibbs. "Who killed Scotty?" Gibbs hesitated and before he could answer, she continued, "Scotty bad man. Him mean." She shook her head and stared at her hands as she twisted them together.

Gibbs didn't know what to think of her behavior. He would need to get Ducky's opinion on this one. Her attention wandered with her thoughts and his next statement had her covering her face with her hands. "Jason Andrews shot an FBI agent."

She squeezed her eyes and mumbled, "Agent," then peeked through her fingers to look at him. "I saw that on TV. Scotty made him do it. I hate him!"

"Did you help your brother get out of prison?"

"Prison," she repeated softly and began twisting her fingers together again. "Jason went back to prison. I love him. We want to get married."

Gibbs' patience started to grow thin, especially now that she seemed to be avoiding his questions. His voice grew more stern. "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

"Brother," she repeated and her eyes rolled in their sockets as if searching the small room for the answer. Her face then grew worried as she replied, "Long time."

Gibbs snapped his fingers in front of her face and raised his voice. "Hey! Look at me!" When she finally complied, he asked, "Where were you the last time you saw Scotty?"

Her eyebrows dipped a bit as if in fear but she didn't waver from looking into his glare. "Scotty. At the prison, in the visiting room. Did you kill him?"

By late afternoon Gibbs finished his interrogation of Donna Packard and made a journey to the morgue to get his colleague's assessment. He had pretty much made his own determination of the woman; she didn't have both oars in the water. But Ducky's assessment was the one he trusted in a case like this.

The glass doors to the morgue hissed open, announcing his arrival and Ducky swiveled on his stool in Gibbs' direction. "Hey, Duck," he greeted, striding over to the medical examiner's desk.

"Done with your interrogation already?" he asked, turning back to close a medical book he had been reading. Ducky had observed Packard while she had been questioned, plus he had talked casually with her while escorting her to the break room for a refreshment. It was always advantageous to talk with an individual in a more relaxed atmosphere. Her true self had readily shown through as she walked and talked and shared with the ME. Their short visit had allowed Ducky to re-affirm his initial analysis.

"Just taking a break," Gibbs responded and leaned his back against the cool cinderblock wall. "What do you think, Duck?"

His friend scanned a few notes he had jotted down after his meeting with Packard. "She would need to be examined and tested by competence experts to tell you for sure."

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"She's a hard individual to read, Jethro."

"How so?"

The doctor looked up to meet the agent's steady gaze. "While I observed her, the first thing that was quite evident was an intellectual disability."

"A mental disorder," Gibbs stated.

"A fluency disorder, to be more precise," Ducky continued. "Her speech doesn't have the typical rate, rhythm, and sound when putting together words and phrases. The primary motor cortex of her brain has a deficit."

"Couldn't she be faking it?"

Well, yes," Ducky admitted, wagging his head as indication that he didn't think she was. "Indeed you or I could perfect this type of speech pattern with a fair amount of training and practice."

Gibbs pushed off the wall. "So I go back and break her. Is that…"

"No," Ducky interrupted, "that would only serve to exacerbate her disorder. Her thought process will deteriorate completely if she's put under too much stress."

Gibbs ran an agitated hand through his hair because sometimes it seemed as though his friend talked in circles. This psychology mumbo jumbo was beyond him and right now Ducky was only muddying the waters. After a deep calming breath, Gibbs tried again to understand. "She could be faking, but you don't think she is," he stated in a voice showing just a touch of impatience.

Ducky removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "As I said, her communication disorder is quite evident." Pausing for a moment, he resettled his glasses upon his nose. "She also has a second disorder, not as prominent, but it's there. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder."

"OCD"

"I saw only the compulsions, not the obsessions, but I was only with her for a short amount of time."

Gibbs nodded. "The finger tapping."

"She's counting or repeating something internally as a way to reduce her anxiety."

"Couldn't she be faking that also, Duck?"

"Perhaps. However, she also has a second compulsion. She must repeat the last word of whatever you say, before she can proceed to speak herself."

Gibbs thought back to the way she had answered his questions. "She was doing that?"

"Oh, yes," Ducky responded, nodding emphatically. "She never failed, no matter who was speaking to her. I also noticed she was doing it with conversations she heard in passing and wasn't actively participating in."

"Why?" Gibbs asked, out of curiosity.

"Well, there are different obsessions it could be linked to, but I believe she is afraid that if she doesn't do this repeating, that something terrible will happen to her." Ducky raised his eyebrows before concluding, "She may feel she will be punished if she fails."

Gibbs clapped his friend on the shoulder as he headed for the door. "Thanks, Duck."

Tony and Ziva were sat at their desks when Gibbs strode into the bullpen. "DiNozzo!" he snapped as he went round behind his desk.

"Yeah, boss?"

"You take Ms. Packard and put her on a bus back to Oklahoma." Tony grabbed his go-bag as Gibbs continued, "You stay with her until you see the bus leave."

The senior agent hesitated with his pack slung over his shoulder. "You sure about this? Sending her home?"

As a response, Gibbs jerked his chin up into the air, sending his agent on his way. "Ziver," he said, dropping his eyes, "go with him." As she snatched up her own bag, Gibbs spoke again. "And, Ziver, make sure she's taken care of." She nodded once in understanding to his meaningful look then hustled to catch up with her partner.

Gibbs dropped into his chair and punched a key on his computer to bring it to life. He felt assured that Ziva would see to it that Packard had a meal and money in her pocket before she left D.C.

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

At his desk, Gibbs closed the file on the Ripolla case, for what he hoped was the last time. He wasn't for certain if he had done the right thing in sending Packard home, but nothing in her past was suspicious and the woman was mentally unstable, so best to send her back to the life she knew and the man she loved. Gibbs headed for the conference room needing answers on the cyberstalker case. He had given McGee a deadline that had long since passed because of the Donna Packard interruption, so his tech wizard damn well better have a solid lead!

The team didn't notice Gibbs' entrance as they were sitting around the large table, papers obliterating the top. Abby was closest with her back to him, standing and leaning across the table as they were all intently looking at a piece of printed paper. His eyes landed on her backside where her short black skirt had lifted high enough to expose the entire length of her long alluring legs. His eyes wandered downwards to the white knee-high socks. Two small black bows attached to the socks behind her knees seemed to wink at him as he envisioned her slender ankles locked together behind his back. Slowly his eyes raked upwards until they landed once again on her luscious ass. He licked his lips and could feel his body responding, but he just couldn't help himself. His eyes roamed higher over her slim waist and across the tight t-shirt that covered her smooth back. When he didn't see the outline of a bra strap beneath her shirt, he fought to control a rapidly developing hard-on. He knew he had to get a grip, quickly, because he couldn't very well address the team this way. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he tried entertaining thoughts of toothless Eskimos, swarms of flies, and Fornell in a short strapless dress to help dissipate his arousal.

When he finally felt settled and sure of himself, he stepped up beside Abby, immediately letting everyone know of his presence. Abby straightened and couldn't help but let her fingers brush the back of his hand by her side, as he was standing so close. It had been several hours, half the day… an eternity since she had last seen him. His usual scent, which always excited every inch of her body, drifted around her and filled her nostrils, provoking a fluttering deep in her stomach. It was all she could do not to turn and look at him or touch his hand again. Not trusting herself, she walked around the table to stand beside McGee, who was seated in front of a laptop.

Gibbs' eyes landed steadily on his youngest agent. "You had better have some answers for me, McGee," he demanded sharply.

"I know who it is!" Tim responded confidently. "Well, I think I know who it is. I've been studying the messages in these emails all day when I should have been looking at the internet protocol address at the top of each page. The majority are from an internet café on Sixth Street, but then two weeks ago, the address of the NCIS servers started to appear. Not very often at first, but lately it's been more frequent, always during afternoon hours. He's using the NCIS servers as a proxy to hide his own IP address. But he's also tapped into the on-base personnel database and that's how he's targeting families with children.

Gibbs let his agent ramble on as he unconsciously moved around the table to stand beside Abby. She was a magnetic force that drew him in and he wasn't completely aware of his need to be close enough to touch her. She was now placed between himself and McGee, giving him the perfect opportunity to study her beautiful profile under the pretense of looking at the laptop. Her customary braided pigtails exposed her ears, giving him the chance to examine their shape and size, the earlobe, and all the places he intended on exploring further later on.

When he heard McGee's droning voice stop, his mind instantly refocused and he knew there was a question he needed to ask… but it had suddenly vacated his mind. For several seconds silence ensued before Abby came to his rescue. "You're probably wondering why he chose to use NCIS servers," she stated, lifting a hand to his shoulder. Her green eyes danced with merriment because she knew his thoughts had strayed too far off course. She was tickled by the effect she had on him and the fact that she was able to fluster the unflappable Special Agent Gibbs. "He works here," she continued.

Gibbs pulled a couple steps away. "Who the hell is it?"

"I found a third address. One that has only appeared on three of these pages." McGee said, grabbing the emails off the table. "I traced the address back to an apartment on Devon Street. Special Agent Derek Moen lives there."

Tony had sat quietly but now said, "I knew that guy was too creepy to be normal. C'mon! Who goes bowling and doesn't have pizza and beer!"

"Tony, Ziva," Gibbs barked. "Go bring him in!"

No one moved and Gibbs' glared at his agents. "It is more complicated than that," Ziva responded bravely.

"We've only got these three emails," McGee began. "It's possible someone might have hacked his computer and is using it as a proxy. Not likely but we really need more evidence."

"Then secure his work desk computer," Gibbs demanded.

"We thought of that," Tony interjected. "If he's the guy, that will definitely tip him off and he'll have time to destroy any evidence at his apartment. We think that's where we'll find the meat to this case."

Ziva rose from her seat. "Abby will wear a wire and get him to…"

"No!" Gibbs snapped, cutting her off. "Abby is not going anywhere near him!"

His forensic scientist spun to face him. "I'm already close to him and he trusts me," she protested.

"Not gonna happen, Abbs."

"Boss…"

"Gibbs…"

"Find a different way," he silenced them. "Get someone else."

"There is no one else," Tony answered.

"We can stop him tonight," Abby cut in. "There's no reason to wait."

Gibbs eyes were flashing as he looked at her. "You're not an agent!" His gut was roiling because he knew he had a fight on his hands. She was as stubborn as he was.

"And that's a good thing," she responded. "No one else can do this. I have to."

Gibbs glared at her but it was Tony who spoke. "He's hasn't shown any violent tendencies, boss. We'll be tailing them and we'll be right outside his door. Nothing's going to happen."

"And you know that for a fact, DiNozzo?" Gibbs growled angrily. Silence enveloped the room until Gibbs spoke with less irritation. "Everyone take a break."

Quickly his three agents pushed their chairs back, stood, and made for the door. Abby was about to follow but he caught her by the elbow. "Not you. I wanna talk to you."

Dropping his hand from her arm, he moved around the table as the door was pulled shut. The last thing he wanted was her anywhere near Derek Moen, especially now that he was their primary suspect. After scrubbing a hand over his face, he turned to face Abby across the table. "This is why getting involved with a co-worker is a bad idea," he murmured. "When I'm around you, I get distracted and now I can't think objectively about you anymore."

"Gibbs," she whispered and felt a tightness in her throat. "You wouldn't want me to do this even if we weren't involved." She wanted desperately to move towards him but this type of conversation needed to be discussed with distance between them. He wasn't the only one experiencing the distraction affect. "Derek has always been kind to me. He's never threatened me or touched me in a harsh way. He's not going to hurt me."

"But he has intimidated you," he responded while gripping the back of a chair hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

"He won't even know I'm undercover until you guys come through the door. I can do this."

"I know you can, Abbs," he replied, "but I don't want you to." Even though they were having a normal discussion, Gibbs was still feeling distracted by her proximity. Shrugging out of his jacket to try and cool off, he hung it on the back of a chair and sat down. "Moen's a big man with training as an agent. When we go to arrest him, things could get violent."

"And I'll be long gone out the door. You definitely won't have to worry about me sticking around," she responded with a shake of her head.

* * *

><p>Tony and Ziva stood behind McGee's chair watching the camera feed from the conference room that was up on his monitor. "Think she'll convince him?" Tim asked the question on all their minds.<p>

"I can't hear what they're saying, Probie," Tony said with irritation. "Where's the sound?"

McGee's hands flowed over his keyboard. "I don't know. I can't get it to come through."

"You know she will hug him if he accepts," Ziva stated. "Read their body language. See… see right there," she exclaimed, pointing at the screen. "Gibbs dipped his head and the corner of his mouth quirked. A good sign, yes?"

"She hasn't hugged him yet," McGee observed and they all waited anxiously for that revealing moment.

* * *

><p>"There's gotta be another way to do this," Gibbs stated, hating the thought of Abby being near Moen, undercover.<p>

"There are other ways, but it would take more time," she answered. "I know you don't want to hear this, but the guy is so enamored with me that he can't think straight whenever I'm around."

"I know the feeling," Gibbs mused.

Abby smiled at his comment. "Yeah, well, he's also creepy, bordering on obsessive. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to share with me about his cyberstalking."

"I doubt it," Gibbs responded. "Don't get too confident, Abbs. If he's our guy, he's dangerous."

"I want to do this, Gibbs. Let me do this."

He held Abby's gaze for several seconds. "I don't know whether to hope he is the cyberstalker or not. I want to catch the bastard but I can't stand the thought of you having spent so much time with him. He's been right here under our nose the whole time, probably laughing his ass off at us!"

"He's a disgrace to all special agents," Abby added as her thoughts started to rile her own anger. "I've trusted him, gone to dinner with him, felt as though I've owed him back for saving my life. He deserves to be hung upside down by his toenails!" Now she started to pace back and forth beside the table. "That would actually be going easy on him. There should be some way to frighten him like he's frightened all of these families. Give him a taste of his own medicine." Her mind was whirling a mile a minute. "I wonder if he has a phobia? I should find out and we could play upon that!" She giggled at the thought but kept pacing. "If we were lucky, he'd be afraid of spiders. I know where to get a jar packed with spiders. Or maybe frogs! I can get a whole big bucket full of those. I'd love to see Derek Moen whim…"

Gibbs stepped into her path bringing her to a halt. "Spiders and frogs, Abbs?" he questioned with a quirked smile. "I guess there are a lot of things I don't know about you yet."

She had to take a step back lest she give into the sudden temptation to touch him. "Could be some things you don't wanna know," she teased.

"Not possible."

Abby felt the heat from his gaze brush across her skin. "You're distracting me, Very Special Agent Gibbs. Are we going to get this dirtbag tonight or not?"

* * *

><p>Tony, Ziva, and McGee continued to watch with rapt attention what was transpiring in the conference room. Only Abby could endure such a long conversation with their fearless leader. They knew how much she wanted to go undercover and she wasn't one to give up easily.<p>

"What do you think she's saying to him?" McGee asked.

"She's almost as stubborn as he is," Tony answered. "This could take a while."

"She is certainly not afraid to stand up to him," Ziva added.

"She's got guts," McGee mumbled.

"Hootzpah," Tony clarified. "She's got hootzpah!" When Ziva and McGee turned questioning looks on him, he changed his voice to give an impersonation. "She's one helluva dame, Johnny. A dame with hootzpah!" When all he got were blank stares from his teammates, he reverted back to his normal voice. "C'mon! Don't tell me you've never seen _Desired, Retired, Expired._ It's a classic!"

Ziva and Tim returned their attention back to the monitor. "Do you see what I am seeing?" Ziva asked with surprise.

"Ummm, you mean that they're almost touching and that look he's giving her?" McGee murmured.

"He's gonna kiss her," Tony said leaning forward.

Swinging around, Ziva gave him a hard swat on the arm. "That is ridiculous, Tony. There is nothing between them," she said, turning back to the screen. "Is there?"

The three special agents continued to watch what was unfolding in the conference room. When they saw Gibbs sit down, they all groaned, figuring it was going to be a long standoff between their forensic scientist and their stoic leader. But moments later, Abby removed Gibbs' jacket from where it hung on the back of his chair, walked to the camera and gave them a little wave before draping it over the lens.

"Now you've gone and done it, McNosy," Tony stated, clapping a hand onto the young agent's shoulder before moving towards his desk. "Gibbs is not gonna be happy that you've been spying on them."

"Me?" he exclaimed. "You were the one whining about not having sound!"

* * *

><p>Gibbs watched Abby drape his jacket over the surveillance camera in the corner of the room. He wondered what she was up to until she turned and he saw the heated look in her eyes, making his stomach rise and fall.<p>

"Abby," he admonished in a low tone, trying to dissuade her from what he was certain her intent was. But at the same time, he felt a million tingles slide across his skin and desire rolled deep in his belly.

With a small smile, she sashayed to his seat and sat on the edge of the table, facing him. She perched close enough for her thigh to brush his bare forearm that rested upon the hard flat service. There was only one thing on her mind right now, and it had nothing to do with the case. When Gibbs suddenly sat back in his seat, breaking their contact, her smile widened.

"I want to make sure neither of us is distracted during the sting tonight," she stated solemnly.

Gibbs' gaze dropped from her eyes to her breasts. "Easier said than done," he murmured.

Shifting sideways across the table, she repositioned herself right in front of his chair, her long legs dangling on either side of his knees. "I have a theory about that," she answered quietly and watched his blue eyes lift to her face, causing her heart to skip a beat and then another. "We've only spent one night together and it was…"

Gibbs leaned forward and picked up her right hand, holding it between his own, and turned it over as if to read her fortune. "And it was what?" he prompted.

A shiver cascaded down her spine as she watched him studying her palm. "Amazing," she whispered, her nipples tightening in reaction to his touch. When she once again sought out his sexy blue eyes, she found them dark and intense, and she saw that he was every bit as aroused as she was.

His long fingers stroked lightly over hers, tracing barely-there patterns on her palm. It sent the most delicious tremble rushing through her nerve endings, and she tried her damndest not to wiggle.

Abby felt dazed as his fingers ran lightly up to her wrist, placing featherlike strokes back and forth, and she couldn't help but squirm, feeling as though she were on the verge of actually shaking. Gibbs' fingers glided back down, drawing a pattern on her palm and Abby had to close her eyes for a second, biting her lip. She had lost all train of thought and couldn't even recall any part of their conversation, but who could blame her?

Gibbs lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. When he kissed it a second time, she felt the tip of his tongue dart out, tasting her. A soft squeak emanated from her throat as a thought drifted through her mind that her panties would never be dry again. Returning her hand gently to her lap, Gibbs rested his large hands on her bare knees, sending a shiver through her entire body. "So, what's this theory?" he husked.

His hands were warm and they tightened just a bit before creeping upward to rest mid-thigh. The tips of his fingers barely brushed along the hem of her skirt. "We need… we've been wanting…" Abby began and felt his thumbs stroke over the insides of her legs. She was breathing heavy with anticipation.

"We've been wanting each other all day," Gibbs finished for her, moving his hands upwards just a little bit further.

Mmm hmm," Abby nodded weakly.

Gibbs looked down, watching her lap, looking as entranced as she was with the movement of his fingers beneath her skirt.

"We need," she murmured and swallowed hard. "We need to get past this… these distracting thoughts of wanting each other." His right hand wandered further north, making her breath catch and she couldn't breathe for the want of his touch against her heat.

"How do we do that?" He looked back up at her and licked his lips, teasing her with the gesture that left his lower lip glistening.

Gibbs shifted his gaze to look at the distinct outline of her firm nipples through her shirt. He knew she wasn't wearing a bra, he could smell her arousal, and he was getting harder by the second. Everything about her was driving him crazy and he was desperate to touch her and feel just how wet she was.

Abby looked down at his lap and saw the bulge behind his zipper. His right hand was still climbing, sneaking closer and closer to where she ached for his touch. Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, they fluttered shut as her chest fairly heaved in expectation .

Gibbs watched her eyes close as a shudder tumbled through her body. He knew if he were to feel just how sopping wet she was, he wouldn't be able to stop from having her right here in the conference room. His mind was waging a battle with his self-control and suddenly he stood up, gave her legs a small squeeze, then pulled both of his hands away.

Abby's eyes flew open revealing surprise, confusion, and desperation. He wanted her so damn bad but he knew he couldn't let this happen at work. If they did it once, they would do it again… and again. It would lead to even more distracting thoughts for both of them, something that neither of them could afford in their line of work. In the last few minutes he had already crossed a line he had never intended to.

However, making the decision to stop what was happening didn't make the desire rushing through his veins go away. His mind and his body were momentarily disconnected. He had to move away from her… quickly.

"Are you kidding me?" Abby asked in astonishment. "You can walk away just like that?"

Gibbs had moved to stand near the camera. "It's killin' me, Abbs, but we can't do this here, at work." He took a couple of deep breaths in an effort to settle his body.

"You sure?" she asked with hopefulness and only got a look from him instead. "Okay, but god… give me a minute…"

When Abby finally moved off the table and sat in a chair, Gibbs removed his jacket from the camera. Putting it back on, he went towards the door but stopped with his hand on the knob. "Make your date with Moen tonight," he instructed. "Then we'll get our plans set with the team. You okay?" he asked when she sat there silently.

"Getting there." After he left, Abby still couldn't move; her world was spinning from being brought to the edge and then suddenly abandoned. Gibbs certainly had more willpower than she did when it came to desire and self-control. Gradually her body began to ease to a low simmer and she leaned forward with a smirk, thinking of ways she could distract Gibbs in the future.

* * *

><p>McGee stood in front of their leader's desk looking up at the second floor. "They've been up there a long time. What do you think they're doing? Why would Abby cover the camera?"<p>

Ziva rose and moved around her desk, approaching the young agent. "Perhaps she is using her powers of persuasion on Gibbs," she responded coyly, slowly lifting her hand and seductively running a finger across McGee's chest. "A wise woman knows how to use all of the weapons in her arsenal," she crooned, letting her finger slowly travel down towards his belt buckle.

McGee's eyes widened just a bit as he felt unexpected electricity shoot all the way to his toes. "You think she's… " he swallowed hard.

Raising her hand, Ziva smoothed it along his jaw. "Oh, and perhaps more," she teased.

Tony had a grin on his face as he watched Ziva work her wiles. Probie looked like his knees were about ready to buckle, but with Ziva's last intimation, Tony's gut clenched and he sprang from his chair to stand between the two agents. "Boss wouldn't let things go that far," he stated, glaring down on Ziva.

She gave a small smirk. "Afraid she is getting something you are not?" After a teasing look, she returned to her desk.

"She's getting our protection," Gibbs barked as he swiftly rounded the corner, startling them all into action.

"I'll arrange for the special equipment we will need," Ziva stated, already dialing her phone and wondering if Abby would tell her why she had covered the camera.

"Getting the layout of Moen's neighborhood," Tony responded, grabbing his phone and punching keys on his computer. Because of Ziva's comment, he now wondered if Abby was Gibbs' favorite for different reason.

McGee was a little slower in responding as he was still feeling the aftershocks of Ziva's provocative teasing. "I'll get a floor plan of Moen's building." His nerves were rattled. He needed to get a grip!

* * *

><p>To be continued…<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

I am still working on this one. Thanks for sticking with me!

* * *

><p>After Abby confirmed her date with Derek Moen, she spent time with Gibbs and his team going over every detail for the nighttime op. She had convinced Derek that she was tired of going out and just wanted to spend an evening in and he had been delighted when she suggested spending the evening at his place. She hadn't given him a specific time, telling him that it would depend on when current lab tests were finished.<p>

By the time Gibbs was satisfied with their prep work, it was after 20 hundred hours and he sent Abby home to get ready for her date. He and his team then went to Moen's neighborhood and got a feel for the area and made sure all exits would be covered from his apartment building.

Back at the NCIS offices a little later, Gibbs took the stairs down to the garage, but before he descended the last six steps, he heard voices ahead of him, near the lower-level elevator. He recognized at once that one of the two men talking was Moen, so he pressed his back to the wall to keep from being seen.

Moen's voice was loud and it was easy for Gibbs to hear. "God, sex with her was unbelievable. I just have to figure out how that bastard Gibbs figures into her life and get rid of him."

The other man with Moen spoke a bit softer, so Gibbs leaned forward to hear him better. "You've already gone out with her once?"

"More than once," Moen scoffed. "And the last time we got it on fast and hard and practically in public. That's why I wasn't able to get you any proof."

Anger rose in Gibbs' chest and he clenched his fists at his sides. He was almost certain that they were talking about Abby, and Moen was being a complete ass with the lies he was telling.

"But tonight I'll have her again," Moen continued. "I guarantee it and I'll get you pictures, too. How 'bout we up the stakes to double or nothing?"

_He has a bet going?_

Gibbs thought as he struggled to remain calm.

The other man was wary. "$500?"

_Moen wanted her just for the sake of a bet? What a sick sonofabitch!_

"Too rich for my blood," the man continued, "but I'll keep my bet at $250. You'll never get past Gibbs."

Having heard enough, Gibbs walked around the corner and stood where Moen couldn't see him but the other man could. The guy looked panicked, but Moen didn't catch it and spoke with derision, "I heard he's got a tiny dick and tries to compensate for it by being a bastard. I'll turn her against him and knock him out of the picture in no time."

Gibbs didn't recognize Moen's friend, but then the guy cleared his throat and pointed. Moen spun and didn't appear embarrassed at all by being caught. "Oh, speak of the devil," he snarled.

Stepping forward, Gibbs was ready to give this asshole what he deserved. "You're a lying bastard," he growled. "Abby's never been with you and it'll be over my dead body before you get close to her again!"

"Where should I send the flowers?" Moen laughed. "We've got a date tonight. At my place. All alone. Very private. Very cozy."

Gibbs realized he couldn't let on that he already knew about the date, but how the hell was he supposed to let Abby go through with the plan tonight? Derek Moen was like all the other scum he arrested every week, and Abby had no idea. The thought of her being in this man's apartment, all alone, made the bile rise in his throat. "You hurt her and I'll make your life a living hell!"

Gibbs was barely aware of Moen's friend slinking past him along the wall and scurrying away.

Taking a step closer to the senior agent, Moen looked down on him with disdain. "I don't know what your problem is, Gibbs, but you've had your chance with her. She's a hottie and you obviously aren't man enough to give her any. Are you as impotent as they say? You must be because there's no way you could work with her all this time and not have gone after her."

Gibbs saw red and his self-control snapped. His first swing caught Moen by surprise and landed square against his jaw, staggering the tall agent back against the wall.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Moen yelled.

"Yeah, I am, you self-serving prick!"

"You're gone, man! You just signed your own pink slip!" Moan spat.

"Your friend has left and we're the only ones here," Gibbs stated, advancing on the taller man again. "You cancel your date with Abby tonight!"

"The hell I will," Moan responded. "I've got $2,000 riding on tonight."

Now Gibbs realized there were other participants in on this bet and he was pissed! His biggest fear about Moen and Abby seemed to be coming true. Was he really going to let Abby walk right into the lion's den?

"Maybe you oughta have a talk with your precious little Abby," Moen stated gruffly.

"She's told me how she's put the moves on you and you can't get it up. Doesn't surprise me. But you've hurt her enough. She's mine and tonight I'm going to show her what a real man can do."

"You lying sonofabitch!

You lay one finger on her and I'll kill you," Gibbs threatened.

"She's coming to my apartment tonight," Moen taunted. "If you're gonna kill me, you better do it now."

Gibbs took another swing but this time Moen was ready and blocked the blow then clocked Gibbs square in the mouth, splitting his lip.

Swiping at his mouth, a heavy smear of red blood streaked the back of Gibbs' hand and there was only one thing on his mind: kick the shit out of this guy!

Charging at the younger agent, Gibbs slammed him against the wall and landed several hard body blows.

Moen was bigger and heavier, with a longer reach, and he was taller, but he struggled to free himself. With his hands clenched together, he brought a heavy strike down on Gibbs' back then slammed his knee up into his ribs, twice.

Staggering backwards, Gibbs rested his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he straightened up and could see the sneering smugness on Moen's face.

The young agent lunged forward and threw a punch aimed directly at Gibbs' face, but he easily side-stepped it. Enraged, Moen came at Gibbs with a round-house swing and again he dodged then countered with speed and precision, his knuckles connecting hard with Moen's nose.

A loud CRACK accompanied the blow and the large man dropped to the floor on his hands and knees, an ugly pool of blood instantly forming on the white tiles. Moen's nose was broken.

Gibbs' adrenaline was pumping hard. He was in a red rage and wanted more of a fight. "Is that all you got, you prissy little shit!" Gibbs yelled down on him.

Moen sat back on his knees and used the front of his shirt to swipe the tears from his eyes and soak up most of the blood under his nose. Pushing up to his feet, he glared at his opponent. "You're nothing but a fucking old man. This ain't over yet!"

With blood dripping off his chin, he charged Gibbs again and got lucky. His blow landed against Gibbs' shoulder, shoving him into the hard cement wall.

He continued to attack and his fist was already flying through the air as he surged forward. Gibbs ducked and twisted away, hearing the crunch of bone as the hand smashed into the solid wall.

Moen screamed with rage and pain. Spinning around, Gibbs saw the fury in the young agent's eyes, the blood coating his cheeks and chin. He was sputtering something, almost choking on his words.

The young agent was bloodied and beaten, but Gibbs wasn't about to end this yet. He was still furious because he knew Moen could hurt Abby and that he was using her for a bet. He was furious with himself also, for agreeing to put Abby undercover tonight wearing a wire and going into this man's home.

Suddenly, the knuckles of Moen's fist slammed into Gibbs' jaw, snapping his head back.

Staggering, Gibbs couldn't believe the guy had landed such a solid punch. He shook his head to clear the ringing from his ears and saw Moen bent at the waist, shaking and flexing his painful hand. Blood continued to stream from his nose to the floor.

Before Moen could straighten up, Gibbs buried his fist deep into his gut, hearing him gasp for air, coughing and choking. But as Gibbs withdrew his fist to hit him again, Moen's foot collided with his kneecap.

Grunting and straining to stay upright, Gibbs grabbed Moen's foot. He wrenched it around, and with a tremendous heave, chucked him into the wall. A second later, Gibbs slammed his fist into the side of his face.

Moen crumpled against the wall, but stayed on his feet. Gibbs' lungs pulled in great draughts of air as he stumbled backwards until he leaned against the opposite wall.

The fight was done. Both were barely able to stand.

Gingerly testing his knee to see if it could withstand weight, Gibbs started towards the elevator. Unexpectedly, a roar issued from Moen's throat and he lunged at Gibbs, spitting blood into his face. Gibbs threw himself with equal intensity at Moen and they collided fiercely.

Digging down deep to his Marine survival training, Gibbs rammed him back against the wall. He held Moen with one arm across his chest.

"Enough!" Gibbs yelled vehemently.

Moen grinned at him with blood-coated teeth then spit on him again.

With violent intensity, Gibbs slammed his fist up into Moen's diaphragm and released his hold. As Moen fell to the floor, Gibbs drove a knee up into his face one more time.

Moen dropped like a sack of beans. Curled into a fetal position, he groaned and whimpered.

Exhausted and bloody, Gibbs staggered into the elevator and pushed the button to autopsy.

He still wavered a bit on his feet as he walked through the sliding glass doors into the dark morgue. Ducky had already gone home. Walking to the large sink against the far wall, Gibbs turned on the water and began washing his hands and face.

His lip was swollen and still oozed blood, his knuckles were raw, and his ribs were painfully bruised. The majority of the blood that went down the drain all belonged to Moen, and Gibbs rinsed his mouth over and over again, trying to get rid of the nasty taste. Stripping down to his waist, he finished washing up then put on one of Ducky's blue scrub shirts.

Before leaving autopsy, he used the phone on the desk to ring security to let them know where Derek Moen was and that he needed medical attention. Also, he informed them that janitorial services were needed in that same area.

Hobbling down the steps so as to avoid meeting anyone, Gibbs exited the building through the garage, limped to his car, and drove to Abby's apartment. He needed to make sure she was safe and more than anything, he wanted to make sure she stayed that way.

Abby had just finished dressing after her shower when the knock came against her door. She was expecting Gibbs and his team to arrive in about an hour to go over the assignment one more time, so she didn't know who to expect.

Checking the peephole, she saw the silver hair on the top of Gibbs' head. He was obviously looking down at the floor and a bubble of excitement rose in her chest seeing he had come early. However, when she pulled the door open and he looked up, her breath caught in her throat from the sight that greeted her.

"Gibbs! What happened?" she exclaimed as she grabbed his arm and drug him inside. Making him sit on the couch, she perched beside him to take a closer look at his face. One eye was swollen and turning black and blue, there was an obvious bruise on his left cheek, and his puffy split lip was an ugly purplish blue color.

Immediately she jumped to her feet. "Let me get you some ice." Returning with two plastic bags, she pressed one to his lip and one to his eye. Sitting back against the couch, Gibbs rested his head back and took the ice from Abby's hands.

He hadn't said anything to her since arriving and she was scared that something terrible had happened. She wanted to touch him and comfort him but was afraid she might hurt him. With gentle fingers, she touched his hair and was surprised to find it wet.

His eyes were closed and for a minute, she thought he had fallen asleep, he looked so exhausted. But then his good eye opened briefly to look at her and she asked softly, "You gonna tell me what happened?"

"Had a fight with Moen."

"Oh, god, Gibbs," she responded with a heavy sigh. "Please tell me you didn't kill him."

"I wanted to. I probably should have." His voice sounded tired. "I heard him say things. Things about you."

"You were defending my honor," she smiled weakly.

Gibbs clenched his jaw in an attempt to control his anger before speaking. "He's making bets that he'll get you into bed tonight."

"What? Are you serious?" Abby shrieked and sprang to her feet. "Who's he betting with?" Her hands were on her hips as she stared down on Gibbs.

"I don't know," he growled. "But he's got a lot of money riding on tonight so he's not gonna take no for an answer."

"Don't worry, Gibbs, I can handle him," she hissed and bounced on her toes as she shadow boxed into the air.

Throwing the ice bags onto the coffee table, Gibbs leaned forward and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down beside him. "This is serious, Abbs. I don't think I can let you go ahead with our plan tonight."

His eyes were dark and intense, his jaw was set, and every muscle in his body was tense. Yet, she saw that under the surface, he was worried and scared for her. "I'll be alright, Gibbs," she said softly. "I have to do this."

"No, you don't."

"I'm _going_ to do this," she retorted stubbornly.

"Not if I don't let you."

"Is this another example of why we shouldn't have gotten involved?" she asked snidely, aware that he was ruining their best chance at catching the cyber-stalker.

Gibbs' response was gruff. "Maybe it was a mistake. We seem to be butting heads a lot ever since." Pushing to his feet, he limped to the kitchen in search of a drink.

Abby felt tears stinging her eyes. Was this going to come down to the fact that they couldn't be involved because they worked too closely together? Why was everything suddenly so complicated between them?

After giving herself time to cool down, Abby walked into the kitchen to see Gibbs pouring himself a cup of coffee. "It's cold," she murmured.

He only grunted and shrugged then drank it anyway. "I didn't mean that," he said, gesturing towards the living room with his coffee mug.

Stepping up to him, Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and looked into his blue eyes. "I know," she whispered. "I couldn't give you up anyway. That'd be like giving up breathing."

Gibbs gave her a small grin then set his mug down and pulled her tightly against him. "I can't lose you, Abbs," he murmured in her ear.

"You won't. I know the team's got my back." Her lips curled against his neck and they stood silently for several moments before she added, "And my front."

Gibbs chuckled. "Certain parts of you are only for me, Abbs."

"You have nothing to worry about there, Special Agent Gibbs," she stated and smoothed her hands up the length of his long back.

Slowly, he started kissing along her jawline towards her chin until his mouth covered hers. It was gentle and easy but quickly ignited into deep and passionate. Abby moaned and felt her body instantly responding. She had been on a low simmer since their encounter in the conference room.

Gibbs knew it was a mistake to keep kissing her, but they weren't at work anymore and his body was more than ready. Thoughts of the team turning up soon had him pulling back. "You need to finish getting ready," he breathed heavily. "Tony, Ziva, and McGee will be here soon."

Glancing at the clock, Abby saw that she maybe had a half hour to finish dressing and applying her makeup before they arrived. "Okay," she agreed with a calming sigh. "Come with me while I finish. I want to be near you."

With their fingers twined together, Abby led them to her bedroom. Gibbs then sat on the bed to watch as she went to her dresser. "I need to pick out some underwear," she mused, pulling open a small top drawer. After a bit of rummaging, she turned towards him, holding up a pair of lacy red panties. "What do you think of these?"

Gibbs felt his cock jump. "I like 'em," he husked. "But only for me."

Abby smiled and gave a little giggle as she turned back to the drawer. Next she turned holding up an exact replica, except this pair was black. "I suppose these are only for you, too?" she teased. The hunger in Gibbs eyes was quite evident as he nodded.

Turning back to the drawer, she pulled out two more pair and let them dangle from her fingertips as she held them up for his approval. With the heal of his hand, Gibbs pressed down on his crotch, trying to subdue his raging hard-on. "Don't you have a pair like your granny used to wear?" he grunted.

With a show of false exasperation, Abby dropped the panties into the drawer and shoved it shut. "Maybe I'll just go with what I already have on." Sidling over to the bed, she stood between Gibbs' parted knees. "What do you think?"

Looking up into her green eyes, he knew she wanted his consent and there was only one way for him to check out the panties she was currently wearing. Holding her gaze, he placed his palms against her thighs and inched them up under her skirt. His heart pounded in his chest and he watched her eyes flutter shut.

Gibbs' brain was telling him to stop, but his hands continued to move on their own accord. He knew that once he felt her heat, he would have to have her, so the right thing to do would be to pull his hands away, stand, and walk out. But, oh god, how he wanted to touch her, feel her wetness… hear her whimper.

When his fingers encounter her soft curls, his eyes widen. She wasn't wearing any panties. Throwing all rational thought out the window, Gibbs' fingers dove into her slick folds as his other hand reached up and threaded into her hair, pulling her head down into a desperate kiss.

Abby released a whimper into his mouth as he pushed one finger then two inside her. She bent her knees pressing down harder upon his hand and circled her hips.

Gibbs began stroking in and out and Abby's whimpers climbed higher and louder. "Don't stop… oh god… I need… more!" In desperation, she lifted her hips and plunged down as his fingers pushed up.

Watching Abby writhe and gasp, Gibbs grew painfully hard within the confines of his trouser. "We don't have time for this, Abbs," he breathed heavily. "We should stop."

"NO! Don't stop!"

Unable to remain seated any longer, Gibbs rose to his feet and slipped his fingers from her heat. Her protest was a strangled whimper and her eyes flew open. Gibbs already had his belt loosened and Abby's fingers worked frantically on the buttons to her blouse. By the time he got his shoes toed off and his pants and boxers kicked aside, she was naked from the waist up.

They surged together, his one hand squeezing her breast as his other grabbed her ass. Abby's hands reached for his hardness and began stroking him. He filled her entire palm.

Even though the bed was directly behind Gibbs, they stumbled away from it while grasping, moaning, and kissing wildly. Unknowingly, they lurched through the bedroom door and Abby's back hit the opposite wall in the small hallway.

Now that she was pressed against a hard surface, Gibbs slid both hands under her backside and lifted. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she felt his cock poking at her entrance, just the tip, pushing to get in. However, Gibbs felt his strength fading rapidly as he wasn't recovered from his bout with Moen. Hastily looking around, he spotted a small table at the end of the hall and went towards it.

The surface was small and square with only enough room for the vase of flowers that was set upon it. With a swipe of her hand and the sound of a heavy thud upon the floor, Abby quickly had the surface cleared and Gibbs set her on the edge. The spindly table legs wobbled.

"Too close to the wall," Abby panted as her head bumped it. With her legs still wrapped around his waist he lifted her with one hand as he drug the table a couple feet away. Then with her once again perched upon the unstable surface, he rucked up her skirt and plunged into her, going deeper than he ever thought possible.

They were both overly aroused and desperate for release before their time ran out. Gibbs began thrusting over and over, with each stroke stimulating Abby's clit. His hands grasped the edges of the table beside her hips and he leaned over her, grunting with each powerful stroke.

Abby clutched the table behind her and fell back until her head and shoulders hit the wall, using it for leverage to meet each of his thrusts. Her legs hung uncomfortably over the edge of the table and she spread them to the walls on either side of her, hoping to find a purchase. One foot finally caught upon the door frame to her bedroom and the other landed against a high shelf nailed to the wall.

The table swayed and creaked and mercifully held together.

Gibbs elbows were locked as he held his body over hers and his eyes devoured the sight of her breasts bouncing with each hard stroke. A sweat broke out along his spine and he could feel his release rapidly building.

"Abbs…" he grunted with another thrust and she whimpered in response. "Abbs…" _Thrust, thrust. _"Can't…" _Thrust. _"Hold…" _Thrust._ "On…" Abby screamed as her orgasm shot through her body like an electric current and Gibbs exploded in a white hot wave, his hips driving forward erratically a couple more times.

A shudder rippled through him as he continued to hold his body weight on shaky arms. Abby was sprawled beneath him, panting, and floating upon the remaining tiny spasms of pleasure. He watched her slowly come around and open her gorgeous green eyes. They both smiled at the same time.

"Well, now I'm all charged up for tonight's assignment, Jethro," she purred.

Drawing back, Gibbs pulled her to a sitting position and kissed her soundly. "I love charging you up," he murmured in a deep rough voice.

With a gentle lift, he placed her on her feet then turned to pick up the table and move it back to its original position. Grabbing the edges, he picked it up and two of the narrow delicate legs fell to the floor. A third leg swung back and forth before eventually dropping off. Carefully, Gibbs laid the pieces still in his hands onto the floor.

Abby stood behind his shoulder and gave a snort. "I guess we wrecked that."

Gibbs shook his head and chuckled. "Good thing it didn't fall to pieces five minutes ago."

"I doubt if it would have slowed you down any." Leaning forward she place a kiss on the back of his shoulder then sauntered into the bedroom.

Gibbs was right behind her. "Me? You're a wild woman, Abbs."

"Wild for you, Jethro."

He was about to slap her on the fanny when there was a solid knock on the door. "They're here," he announced.

Abby started snatching her clothes off the floor. "You're going to have to answer it. I have to get dressed."

"And I don't?" he returned with a raised eyebrow while slipping on his boxers.

"I better take another shower," she stated, heading for the bathroom. "I've got your scent all over me."

"You don't like it?"

Another more persistent knock sounded.

"I'd love to go to bed with it but I shouldn't be around Derek and smelling like you."

Gibbs pulled on his pants. "Believe me, he won't notice."

Abby threw him a puzzled look before disappearing into the bathroom across the hall.

Gibbs slipped on his shoes just as the outer door opened and his three agents entered looking concerned.

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews and to everyone who is following this story!

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><p>"Everything okay in here?" Tony asked, entering first.<p>

"Thought the door was locked," Gibbs responded, sitting on the couch and bent over tying his shoes.

Tony paused and raised an eyebrow when he saw Gibbs' mussed hair. "Ziva got concerned when Abby didn't answer, so…"

"I picked the lock," she finished for him. When Gibbs stood and faced his team, Ziva pushed past Tony. "What happened to you?"

"Who did this to you boss?" Tony asked with concern.

"Moen and I had a little talk," he stated and walked around the couch towards the kitchen, passing by McGee who stood holding two cases of equipment.

Watching Ziva slip into Abby's bedroom down the hallway, Tony took note of the broken table lying against the wall. "Was Moen here tonight?" he asked, following behind their team leader.

Gibbs leaned against the counter sipping another cold cup of coffee. "No. I ran into him before I left work."

"Thought Abby would have been ready by now," Tony mused. "When did you get here?"

Gibbs didn't answer and returned to the living room to sit and wait for the women to join them.

Tony sat with him on the couch, but he wasn't comfortable with the silence. "That a new cologne for you, boss?" he asked, and Gibbs gave him a sideways glance. "It's nice," Tony stumbled on. "A little too feminine for me… but… you wear it well. Like everything… you… wear." Stopping, he drained his glass of water and headed back to the kitchen.

McGee looked around the room nervously. "I'm just gonna get the equipment set out… in the kitchen."

It was another ten minutes before Ziva and Abby came from the bedroom and when Gibbs stood to face them, his breath caught in his throat. Abby was wearing a completely different outfit. One that was more form fitting, more provocative. "Give us a moment, Ziver," he stated and waited until his agent had disappeared into the kitchen before he crowded Abby against the wall in the hallway. "What the hell is this, Abbs?" he asked, stepping back a few feet.

"Oh, you like it? Ziva picked it out." She smiled, regardless of the stern look in his eyes. "She gave me a few tips also. Like how to distract Derek so I can get a look around the place. What type of questions to ask without seeming too nosy. How far I should lead him on."

"I'm beginning to think you're looking forward to your evening with this guy."

Abby felt a bit pained that he could still think she was interested in anyone but him. "When this night is over, I just want to know that I've done my best to do what I've been assigned to do, Special Agent Gibbs. Tonight with Derek, is simply part of my job. Nothing else."

With a jerk, she started towards the kitchen but Gibbs grabbed her elbow and swung her back with enough force so that she fell against his chest. "I keep sounding like a jealous lover," he murmured as her fresh scent flooded his nostrils.

Abby could feel the rigidness of his stomach and chest against her front, raising the desire she had for him all over again. "Don't be," she whispered. "You're the only one for me."

Her confession sent a wave a satisfaction and relief washing over him and as much as he wanted to press her against the wall and kiss her senseless, he knew he had to keep himself under control. Never an easy task when he was anywhere near Abby.

In the kitchen, Gibbs and his team attached mikes to their shirt cuffs and pressed in earwigs. Abby was set up with only a mike taped to her skin under her shirt. They didn't want to risk having her wear an earwig, which meant that she would not get any input from the team. They, however, would hopefully be able to hear everything she and Derek said.

It was just after 10 pm when they arrived at Moen's apartment building and each member took their assigned positions. All alone, Abby rode the elevator up to the fourth floor apartment, going over in her head everything she had been told, everything she was supposed to remember. She had selected a code phrase to use when she found the evidence or if she felt as though she were in grave danger. All she had to say was 'blue raven' and within seconds, Tony and Gibbs would be charging through the door.

Abby's hands began to shake as she walked down the hallway to Derek's apartment. Even though the guy gave her the creeps, there was now an added dimension to her disliking him. She was angry about the betting he had arranged and the lies he was spreading about her. Beyond her assignment tonight, she was more than eager to get payback on Derek Moen.

Standing outside his door, she took a moment to calm herself. She knew she needed to focus more on the assignment and less on her revenge. Moen was definitely weird enough to be the one harassing military families and she hoped that she would find evidence to help wrap up the case. The most important factor that she hoped to accomplish tonight was giving those families back a sense of security.

Lifting a hesitant hand, she knocked lightly on the wood door. A moment later it was pulled open and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the condition of Derek's face. "You made it!" he said excitedly, reaching for her hand.

Abby allowed him to guide her inside as she tried to find her voice which had disappeared when a myriad of thoughts flooded her brain. Gibbs had done that to Moen! The young agent looked horrendous with a bandaged swollen nose, two black eyes, his upper lip swollen and purple, a dark bruise on his left cheekbone, and a wad of packing in his right nostril. Gibbs must have been infuriated when he had overheard Moen talking with his friend, and she could only guess that he had held back from telling her everything the men had said. GibbsGibbsGibbs. Moen was a mess!

Spinning around, she squeezed his arm and stood close to his side. "My god, Derek, what happened to you?" She tried sounding as shocked as possible.

Moen tilted his head with a smirk and pointed at his face. "Oh this?" The smirk quickly became a wince and he lifted his hand to his forehead. "I need to sit down."

Abby helped him to the couch only a few feet away and sat closely beside him. His injuries were obviously going to change the way she did things tonight. "You should be lying down, resting. You should have called me and told me not to come. I should get you some ice. Did you go to the doctor? Is it broken? What happened?"

Leaning back on the couch, Moen tipped his head back to rest on top of the cushion and closed his eyes. "I could use some ice," he said softly. "You can get some from the refrigerator dispenser in the kitchen." He winced again as if in pain. "Straight behind us."

Abby placed a gentle hand on his knee before standing up. "Should I put it in a plastic bag or just a towel? You want to lie down?" She placed a couple of throw pillows against the arm of the couch.

Moen moved to stretch out with his head on the pillows, and he spoke as if he were in continuous pain. "There are some bags on the counter. Fill three with ice."

Walking to the kitchen, Abby looked around, getting the lay of the apartment. The living room was just inside the door with a large sliding glass patio door to the left that led out onto a nice balcony. Squeezed in between the kitchen and the living room was a dining table with two chairs. The kitchen was L-shaped and very small with just enough room to have only one door open at a time, be it a cupboard door, oven door, or refrigerator door. To the left of the living room was a hallway that led past the kitchen, further into the apartment. She saw three closed doors off the right side of the hall; three rooms which she somehow had to gain access to.

After filling a few ice bags and grabbing a towel, Abby went back to Derek who still lay with his eyes shut. Lowering an ice bag towards his left cheek, she suddenly let it slip from her fingers and it fell onto the side of his nose. He shot up in his seat like a rocket. "Fuck! Damn sonofa…"

"I'm sorry! Oh! I'm so sorry!" Abby exclaimed, watching him lean forward and hold his head in his hands.

"It's bleeding again!" he shouted. "Get me a damn towel!"

She thrust the one she carried into his hand. "It just slipped! I'm sorry! What can I do?"

"Just be quiet," he responded gruffly.

"Derek, I really didn't mean…"

"Be quiet!" he bellowed.

Abby backed up several feet and watched silently but with a certain amount of inner satisfaction, as Moen groaned in pain and held the towel to his nose. Minutes passed before he finally lifted his head and leaned back on the couch. "Get me another towel," he demanded lowly with his eyes closed.

Finding another towel in the kitchen, she held out a trash can for him to put the bloody one into as he placed the fresh one under his nose. She then sat in a chair opposite the couch, watching tears slip from his closed eyes and his chest rising and falling heavily as he breathed through the pain. "Are you ready to tell me what happened?"

"Give me a few minutes," he said. Lowering the towel, there was no longer packing in his nostril and a trickle of blood still oozed from it. "In the bathroom is a box of wads for my nose. Can you get those?"

"The bathroom?" Abby asked looking down the hall.

"Last door on the right."

Abby walked down the hall noting that the first two doors were shut tight but when she came to the bathroom, the door was open a few inches. Stepping inside, she was surprised at how large it was, bigger than the kitchen. Dual sinks with a counter and large mirror, nice size walk in shower with swinging frosted glass door, three towel racks with thick plush burgundy towels, and a door to the adjoining room. Her hand fell to the knob but it wouldn't turn, it was locked.

Snatching up the box of cotton wads, she returned to Derek. "Here you are," she said, placing them on the coffee table. "Anything else I can do?"

"No. Where's that trashcan?" She placed it by his knee and he finally opened his eyes. "There's beer in the fridge if you want one."

"Sounds good," she responded and went towards the kitchen. "You want one, too?"

"I don't drink beer."

Abby stopped short and turned to look at his back. He was hunched over the trashcan, fumbling to insert a cotton wad into his nostril. "Well, I don't have to have one if…"

"I got them for you." His voice continued to be gruff and unpleasant.

"Oh… okay, thank you." When Abby returned to the couch, Derek was sitting with his head back again and eyes closed. His breathing had settled, and he appeared to be resting calmly. Her gaze dropped from his injured face to his hands that lay flat on the couch beside his thighs, and she took a closer look at what she thought she had noticed earlier. His right hand was obviously swollen and bruised, looking like he had punched something very solid. She hoped it hadn't been Gibbs.

On impulse, she flopped down beside Derek, landing upon his injured hand, even leaning to put more weight on that side and to keep him from easily pulling it out from under her. Once again, his eyes flew open, his head jerked up, the ice bag on his forehead slid down his nose, and he hollered in pain.

His left hand flew up and over to push against her shoulder. "Get up! Get up! Oh god… my hand," he whined when she finally scooted sideways before standing.

Abby forced away the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "What? Now what did I do?"

"Stay away from me and sit over there!" he commanded, pointing at a different chair. "My hand is sprained and you just sat on it," he groaned. "Just stay away from me."

Instead of sitting, Abby moved towards the door. "I should go. You need to rest."

"No!" he practically launched out of his seat. "Please, please stay. I want you here. I need you here." He fell back onto the couch. "Don't go," he said softly.

Hesitantly, Abby moved to sit in the chair across from him. "I want to help you, Derek, but I keep hurting you. I don't mean to."

Moen gave a heavy sigh. "I know. And you have been helping me. With the ice and the towel."

Abby almost snorted because the only reason he had needed the towel was because she had bumped his nose. "Let's just sit and talk for a while," she suggested and started a conversation. "This is a really nice apartment. How long have you lived here?"

Derek rested his head back and replaced the ice pack. "Almost three years."

"Nice neighborhood?"

"I guess," he shrugged. "A lot of kids. Can get noisy sometimes."

"Is this a one bedroom apartment?"

"Two."

"Oh… nice. And a balcony. You use it much?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. Would you mind opening the sliding door there to let some cool air in? I'm getting pretty warm."

Abby rose and went around behind him to the glass door all the while formulating a plan on how to get a look inside his bedroom. Releasing the lock and latch, she pulled the door open and cool evening air rushed past her. "I thought you would have a better view than this."

Derek chuckled, "So did I. I can't see the capitol or the river or the airport or the lights of DC. All I see are the buildings across the street and in the next block. I thought being on the top floor would be great, but not when all the buildings around are taller. It freakin' sucks."

Abby retook her seat as silence fell over them for several moments before Derek lifted his head. "I'm starved. Should we order something to eat?"

"Chinese?"

"Great. I like the cashew chicken teriyaki and rice. Order whatever you want. If you need a menu, there's one hanging on the fridge." His voice was now much more calm and friendly.

Under the pretense of needing the menu, Abby went to the kitchen to try and figure out how to gain entrance to the other two rooms along the hall. Presumably, both of them were bedrooms. One had direct access to the bathroom, but the adjoining door was locked. If she could slip into the bedroom next to the bath, then she could unlock the adjoining door and get access without making it obvious that she had gone into the bedroom. However, it would be much more tricky getting into the other bedroom which was also closest to the living room.

After ordering their food, Abby sat with Derek and he told her about his fight with Gibbs. She played along as though knowing nothing and she acted shocked and angry at what Gibbs had done. Moen was blaming the entire fight on the senior agent and even stated that Gibbs was in worse shape than he was. Abby could only bite her tongue and bide her time until she got the chance to confront him on all of his lies and deception.

Just before she figured the food was about to be delivered, she made an excuse to go to the bathroom. "I won't be long," she said. "You should lay back and rest until our food gets here."

Once in the bathroom, she waited a few minutes before peeking out. She couldn't see Moen and figured he had stretched out on the couch. Tiptoeing down the hall, she stopped in front of the first bedroom door and grasped the doorknob. One more peek towards the couch and she slowly turned the knob, hoping the door wouldn't creak when she opened it.

Derek cleared his throat and she froze in her shoes. He was definitely on the couch and her head swung that way. Seeing no movement, she quickly opened the door just enough to slip inside and closed it tightly behind her. She was finally in… his bedroom.

The room was dimly lit through one window beside a king sized bed that practically filled the entire space. There was a tall wooden dresser, a built-in closet with a sliding mirrored door and a wooden dressing rack. The door connected to the bathroom was blocked by a low table covered with magazines and books.

Abby's heart began to race as she looked around quickly and moved to the low table. Riffling through the books and magazines, most of them were about guns and ammunition. Dropping to her knees, she lifted the bed-skirt and peeked underneath, but it was too dark to see so she retrieved a small penlight that she had stuffed in her sock under her jeans; something Ziva had given her. Flicking the light back and forth under the bed, all she found was a sock and a small spider web.

Rising, Abby considered the dresser but went towards the closet instead. It was then that she heard Derek's voice. "Abby? Everything okay?"

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

_Abby considered the dresser but went towards the closet instead. It was then that she heard Derek's voice. "Abby? Everything okay?"_

She froze and felt a lump rise in her throat. She couldn't answer him from the bedroom. _Eek!_ Going swiftly to the door that connected to the bathroom, she gripped the sides of the table in front of it and tried to lift, but it didn't budge. Next she grabbed the edge and tried to drag it, but it was as though it were glued to the floor.

"Abby? What are you doing?" His voice was getting closer.

She'd have to climb over the table but suddenly she wondered which way the door would swing to open. If it had to swing towards the bedroom, she was screwed! Releasing the lock on the knob, she gave it a shove and it swung away from her with too much force and before she could grab it back, it banged loudly against the bathroom counter. _Oh shit!_

"Abby!" _Oh god!_ He was right outside the bedroom door. "What was that?!"

Thankfully, at that moment, there was a knocking on his apartment door. "Food's here, Abby," he called and his voice was now further away. She figured he was going to answer the door.

Scrambling over the magazines and books, she stumbled into the bathroom and swung the door shut. After a few deep calming breaths, she stepped into the hall and returned to the living room where she sat drinking her beer when Derek returned with their food.

"What was that loud bang I heard?" he asked.

"Loud bang?" Abby bit nervously on her lower lip. "Oh that! I heard it, too. It was really loud!" She knew her words were coming out too fast and she needed to slow down. "I think it came from the neighboring apartment."

"They've got kids," Moen stated, setting the bag in his hands on the coffee table. "A couple of boys."

Abby nodded and moved to sit on the other end of the couch. "That must have been them," she answered and began to set out their meal. "Smells good. What can I get you to drink?"

Moen sat down heavily on the couch with a painful groan, looking exhausted. His voice sounded strained. "There's a yellow pitcher in the fridge with ice tea. The glasses are in the cupboard to the left of the sink."

Abby was more than happy to keep moving. "Go ahead and start eating, I know you're hungry and it'll make you feel better. I'll be right back." In the kitchen, she poured his drink and grabbed another beer for herself then took a few minutes to think about her next move. She was quite sure that she wasn't going to find any evidence in Derek's bedroom, but she needed to finish checking it anyway, and she needed to check the other bedroom. It was all going to take time, and she was beginning to have doubts about being able to complete her task.

Taking the drinks to the living room, Derek was already stuffing food into his mouth, but Abby was feeling too nervous to actually sit still and eat anything. This undercover assignment wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. Kneeling beside the table, she reached for a carton of lo mein, purposefully knocking it against Moen's tall drink glass and dumping it all over her front.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet. "I'm just one accident after another tonight. Look at the mess I've made."

Derek's mouth was stuffed full of chicken and rice. "I'lmm geff if. Go cleaf upf."

Abby walked gingerly to the bathroom all the while talking to herself. "I must be tired. Overworked. Such a klutz, Abigail."

When she was once again behind the closed door of the bathroom, she wasted no time in re-entering Moen's bedroom and going to the closet. The sliding mirror door was quite loose on its track and with painstaking slowness, so as to not make noise, she pushed it open. From what she could see, it was a typical clothes closet. Shirts, pants, suits, ties, shoes, belts and a few hats. On a shelf at the top were a couple boxes and Abby pulled them down, sorted through them, and found nothing of importance. Next, she slid the clothes from one end of the rack to the other, checking the ends and walls of the closet. Nothing out of the ordinary, no evidence.

Dropping down on one knee, she quickly searched inside several pairs of shoes and looked at the rug beneath them. There was nothing until her eye caught upon a small crack in the rear wall of the closet. She expected that it was just a split in the drywall, but she parted the clothes anyway to have a closer look. To her utter surprise, she uncovered a door big enough to crawl through. Either it led to the adjacent room, or it was a hidden compartment of sorts.

Abby knew she didn't have much time to see what was behind the door before Derek would be checking up on her. The nervous energy in her stomach started to spread to other parts of her body and she began to tremble. She had a feeling that she was about to uncover something disturbing and forbidden behind the door and if Moen were to catch her, he would most definitely threaten her life. But she knew she had to do this… she couldn't quit now.

Seeing no knob or handle, Abby pushed against the white wallboard and it actually rolled away from her. An entire square section of the wall moved as a unit on two tracks, rolling into the adjoining room. Beyond the wall, it was dark, almost pitch black. On her hands and knees, Abby crawled through the opening and used her penlight once again before standing up. There had to be a light switch, but when she searched the walls and ceiling, there didn't appear to even be any type of lighting system.

Moving carefully around the room so as not to bump into anything and draw attention, she found a long table with two computers setting side by side. Neither one was turned on, and the rest of the table was bare. No papers, or pens, or even a mouse. Her small light started to dim as she scanned the rest of the room and made out other pieces of furniture. There had to be something here, she just knew it.

Realizing that her light wasn't going to last much longer, she decided to flip on the power to one of the computer screens, but as she stepped around a chair, her foot caught on something and she stumbled into the table, practically shoving the computer monitor onto the floor. The noise of the collision reverberated around the dark silent space.

In the next instant, Derek's tall body stood in the doorway between the bathroom and his bedroom. His face was beet red, his hands were clenched, and his eyes were evil black slits. "What the hell are you doing?!" he bellowed and launched himself over the table, scattering magazines and books onto the floor.

Incapacitating fear slammed through Abby's body and she became immobile, watching a maniac, because that is what Derek had suddenly become, lurch in her direction, falling to his knees in the closet. Saliva dripped and strung from his gaping mouth as he clawed at the inside wall and suddenly bright light flooded the room where Abby stood.

The unexpected brightness jolted Abby out of her trance and she screamed then yelled, "Blue raven! Blue raven!" Swinging round, she bolted for the door but when she pulled on the knob, the door was held tight. "Gibbs! Tony!" she screamed and looked over her shoulder at the crazed man that was crawling into the room, his eyes intent upon her. "Blue raven!" In desperation, Abby pounded on the door with her fists and heard the team's voices on the other side. They were so close, but Moen was closer!

His red face was contorted, body fluids spewed from his mouth, nose, and eyes, and he surged to his feet with a deafening roar. Moen's hand reached out like a reaper's claw and Abby bolted to the other side of the room watching for his next move. A heavy thud against the door caught his attention just before another thud splintered the frame and knocked the door free. Gibbs was there, gun drawn, blue eyes blazing.

"Down on the floor, Moen!" he demanded. "Get down on the floor!"

Ziva and McGee scrambled through the hole in the wall, taking up position in front of Abby with their weapons trained upon the madman.

Derek fell to his knees, held his head in his hands, and began to weep. "What is going on? This can't be happening," he cried in a deep tormented voice. In the next instant, his head came up swiftly and he looked angrily into Gibbs' face. "What did you do to me? Tell me!" Shuffling forward on his knees, he fell against Gibbs' legs and Ziva rushed forward to pull him off, but Moen gripped the front of Gibbs' jacket and pulled himself back to his feet. "I need air! I can't breathe!" he shouted and raced out the door, past Tony, around the couch, and towards the balcony.

"Stop him!" Gibbs shouted but it was all happening too fast. "Moen… freeze!"

Tony raced to catch up but as Derek Moen reached the balcony, he took one leap like a hurdler and went over the low wall with a sickening shriek that filled the night air until he hit the pavement below. Tony leaned over the barrier, his eyes momentarily wide before he shut them and turned his back on the awful scene below.

Gibbs was by his side, staring over the low wall. His fist slammed down onto the ledge and he spun around. "God-damnit!" he shouted. "What the hell just happened here?!"

Silently, Tony walked back into the apartment. McGee and Ziva stood mute in the bedroom doorway. When Gibbs next spoke, his voice was low and rough. "Abby. Where's Abby?" His two agents parted as he strode past them and drew her into his arms. She was shaking and sobbing as she clung to him like a lifeline. "It's okay, Abbs. It's all over," he soothed quietly into her ear.

She buried her face against his neck and let his strong arms support her for several long minutes. Eventually she spoke with halting words. "He went crazy, Gibbs. He was gonna kill me, I know it."

"Sshhh. I wouldn't have let that happen." When he was sure she was steady enough to walk, he guided her out of the computer room to sit on the couch. "Ziva," he spoke softly as he knelt in front of Abby. "Get her some water. DiNozzo and McGee, get the gear up here and start processing this place." He held tightly to Abby's hands as his team did as instructed. "Tony," he spoke before his agent disappeared out the door. "Call Ducky."

"He's already on his way, boss."

Ziva passed a glass of water to Gibbs then placed a gentle hand on Abby's shoulder. "You did good tonight, Abby," she said kindly.

Gibbs pushed the glass into Abby's hand. "Take a sip of this, Abbs," he instructed and waited until she complied. "Ziver, stay with her. I'm going down to meet Ducky."

Rising, Gibbs tried to pull his hands out of Abby's grasp, but she held him tightly then looked up at him with a sad tear-streaked face. "Why did he do that?" she asked somberly and almost looked over towards the balcony. "Why did he jump?"

"I don't know, Abbs," he answered with a sigh. "I didn't expect that, but I should have stopped him."

"How? You tried."

After giving her hand a squeeze, he released it and headed out the door. When Gibbs made it down to the street, he called Director Vance to fill him in and fifteen minutes later, Ducky arrived with Jimmy Palmer.

"That was very good driving, Mr. Palmer," Ducky stated as they stepped from their vehicle.

"Thank you, doctor."

"You did an excellent job of swerving to avoid that raccoon," he continued and met his assistant in front of their truck. "But there's really no need to blow the horn when it's quite obvious that the animal is dead."

Palmer nodded then dipped his head. "I thought it was sleeping."

Ducky gave him a curious look. "The middle of the road is not typically the place where any animal decides to rest."

"I'll remember that, doctor."

The ME turned and made his way towards the body he saw lying in the gutter. Nearby was Gibbs who he spoke to when he got closer. "Jethro, what do we have?" he asked, studying the prone body laying face down with his upper torso bent over the curb.

Gibbs's gaze lifted as he point up into the air. "He jumped."

Ducky followed the agent's motion then knelt down beside the body and spoke to the deceased. "What was so awful that you resorted to such desperation? Hmmm?"

"He's one of ours, Duck," Gibbs informed as the ME bent to take a closer look at the man's face.

"Oh, dear!" he exclaimed, straightening up. "Who?"

"Special Agent Derek Moen. He was a suspect in our current case," Gibbs explained. "When we confronted him tonight, he went crazy and took a running leap off the fourth floor balcony." He hesitated before going on, "Abby was helping us out tonight and she's up in his apartment right now."

"I better check on her," Ducky stated and walked quickly beside Gibbs, pausing briefly to give his assistant some instructions. "Start photographing, Mr. Palmer. I must check on our Abigail."

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

Tony sat on the couch beside a shaken Abby holding her slim hand. "You know we wouldn't let anything happen to you, Abby," he stated re-assuringly.

"I've never seen anyone go so crazy," she replied, gripping onto his fingers. "It didn't even look like him. His face was red and he was drooling and his eyes… I don't think I'll ever forget his eyes."

Tony's gaze went from Abby's face to the low table in front of them covered with white cartons of food. "That's the way some people get when they know they're gonna get caught. Shame to let all this food go to waste." He reached for a container of noodles. "The last thing I expected was for Moen to run. I mean, we're on the fourth floor." Sniffing inside the carton, he licked his lips. "I haven't eaten since lunch."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, coming through the door followed by Ducky. "You better be bagging that as evidence."

Tony jumped to his feet. "Right, boss," he replied sharply and set the food down.

The ME stepped over and sat on the coffee table facing Abby. "How are you doing, my dear?"

"I'm fine, Ducky," she replied, leaning back with a sigh then glancing up at Gibbs. Both men looked at her with deep concern and it was unsettling. "I should be helping McGee with those computers."

Before she could make a move to rise out of her seat, Gibbs put a hand to her shoulder. "McGee doesn't need your help right now. Let Duck check you over."

"I'm not injured," she protested. "He didn't touch me."

Ducky already had his black bag open and was pulling out the blood pressure cuff. "You had quite a fright, Abigail. I want to check a few things."

Abby tilted her head to the side knowing there was no way she was getting out of this, especially with Gibbs standing guard. She sat and indulged the doctor's concern, relieved when Gibbs finally stepped away to supervise his team. Eventually, Ducky repacked his bag. "I think you should rest a bit longer," he instructed.

"Why?"

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, not answering her question.

"Mmmm, early afternoon."

Gibbs rejoined them and Ducky looked up at the senior agent. "It would do her good to get something to eat and to get away from this apartment," he explained. "Take her someplace where she can relax and allow her nerves to settle."

"But I've got work to do," Abby protested against the two men. "I'll probably be up all night running tests."

Ducky shook his head. "Precisely why I want you to take some time now to eat and clear your mind before going back to your lab."

"But I don't…"

Ducky held up his hand to stop her words. "No buts. Doctor's orders."

"There's nothing more for you to do here, Abbs," Gibbs said, moving to stand beside the couch. "We're packing everything up and taking it back to the office. Let's go get something to eat."

Abby looked up at him in surprise. "You're going to take me out to eat? Now? What about the crime scene? What about the stuff that needs to be done here?" She couldn't believe that he was willing to leave just to go eat. It was so un-Gibbs-like.

With a smile and a nod, Ducky stood and left the apartment to go help Palmer down on the street. As Abby made to stand, Gibbs gently took her elbow. "Tony, Ziva, and McGee can handle the rest here. It'll be at least an hour before they get anything back to your lab. I'm not suggesting a fancy dinner, Abbs."

She was grateful for the steadying hand that held her arm and she even leaned into his side a little. What she really wanted, though, was to feel his strong arms wrap around her and make her feel safe. An hour with Gibbs holding her would clear her mind and calm her nerves just as well as getting something to eat. But she knew Gibbs would do as Ducky instructed and hoped she would get the holding and cuddling later. She still felt a little shaky as she looked up at Gibbs, "I don't know if I can even eat."

Taking her hand, he led her towards the door. "Let's get out of this apartment and I guarantee that when we get somewhere that smells of good food, you'll be starving."

It was nearly an hour later when Gibbs escorted Abby into her lab to find boxes of evidence stacked on the floor and table. McGee had set up another table and had Moen's computers set up just as they had been in his apartment. He swiveled around on his stool as the two entered. "Hey, Abby, how're feeling?" he asked with concern.

"I'm fine, Tim. Have you cracked his password yet?" she asked, indicating the computers.

"Haven't had a chance. I just powered them up." Turning his back to them, he poised his hands over the keyboard. "The two systems are wired together and could have simultaneous algorithms or even timed firewall protection."

Abby gave Gibbs a quirky grin as McGee started to type. Since his agent's back was turned, Gibbs ran a gentle hand up and down Abby's arm. "You up to working on this stuff?" he asked her.

"I'm fine." She gripped his hand as it slid into hers. "I just wonder what he's hiding on those computers. It's too bad Derek's dead but he was a creepy disturbed individual."

Gibbs released her hand and headed for the door. "Let me know when you've got something."

"Don't I always," she called after him.

Heading for autopsy, Gibbs contemplated the long night ahead. He was a little surprised by all the evidence piled up in Abby's lab and knew it would be exhausting for her to have to go through all of it. Tony and Ziva were currently digging into Moen's background and he hoped Ducky had an explanation as to why the special agent had taken a swan dive off of his balcony. Just as he walked through the sliding glass doors into Ducky's domain, his cell phone rang and he answered it with his usual curtness. It was director Vance's secretary. Leon was requesting his immediate presence.

With a brief glance, Gibbs caught Ducky's eye, but spun around and headed for the elevator. He imagined that Leon was concerned about the fact that one of his special agents was presumably the cyber-stalker. Definitely not good PR for NCIS so no doubt the director would be hot under the collar. Gibbs hated having to waste time with internal affairs when his team was neck deep in the middle of a case. A case which the director had assigned to them and had ordered to keep top secret. However, after what had just happened at Moen's apartment, there was no way this case wasn't going public.

Without knocking, Agent Gibbs strode into the director's office where Leon was sat behind his large wood desk. "Have a seat," Vance gestured as his agent approached.

"I'm not planning on staying that long," Gibbs replied and stood with his back ramrod straight.

"I just had an interesting meeting with a couple of the security guards that worked the early evening shift. Special Agent Derek Moen has filed a formal complaint against you for harassment and assault."

This wasn't what Gibbs had expected Leon to want to talk about, but he could tell that the Director was trying to control his anger. "The guy's dead," he answered and decided he better sit down after all.

"That's precisely the point," Vance ground out as he opened a file folder lying on his desk. "Perhaps the beating you gave him has something to do with his death." He laid several photos out for Gibbs to look at. Apparently the security guards had taken pictures because Gibbs was staring at a bloodied Moen.

"What the hell are you accusing me of," Gibbs shot back.

"I was a boxer, Agent Gibbs, and you're a Marine. We both know what trauma a crushed nose can do to a man's brain."

"It wasn't like that, Leon," Gibbs objected. "He went to the ER, got patched up, and went home. Hell, Abby was with him and he was fine."

"Until he jumped to his death," Vance replied heatedly. "I should pull you from the case."

Gibbs couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Yeah, based on what? These photos? The guy was a cyber-stalker and the way he had his apartment rigged, he was hiding something else."

"Do you have hard evidence that he was the cyber-stalker?" Leon queried. "Besides, that doesn't change the fact that the beating you gave him may have lead to his ultimate death."

Gibbs pushed up out of his chair and made ready to leave. "I didn't kill him."

"But you wanted to," Vance stated, standing up and moving around his desk. "I've got more than these photos."

With the remote in his hand, Vance cued up a video on the large monitor that hung on the wall. For several minutes both men watched silently as the entire fight between Moen and Gibbs escalated on the screen. The sound quality was poor but Gibbs' voice could definitely be heard saying, "I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" When the fight concluded, Leon froze the image of a lone bloodied Moen slumped against the wall.

Vance spoke to Gibbs with a quiet angry tone. "Don't go near autopsy or Abby's lab. Work at your desk until I get confirmation as to cause of death."

Gibbs felt a twinge in his gut. His fight with Moen had been brutal. Was it possible that it had contributed to the man's death? "Don't keep me waiting. I'd like to get this case wrapped by morning," he said on his way out. Before descending the stairs to the bullpen, Gibbs leaned against the railing and ran a hand through his short hair, taking a moment to arrange his thoughts around the case.

Over an hour later, DiNozzo, David, McGee, and Ducky all filed into the bullpen led by Abby. Gibbs stood as they approached and Abby stopped in front of his desk. "The results are in," she announced.

"What was Moen up to?"

"He was definitely the cyber-stalker," she answered with a small frown. "I pulled enough evidence off his work computer to nail him for that."

Gibbs looked beyond her to his youngest agent. "Then what's with the security at his apartment? What did you get off his home computers?"

"Still working on it, boss," McGee replied. "He's got several levels of encrypted security. The guy could have worked in IT."

Gibbs was losing patience. "Is that all we know so far?" He looked at the ME and wondered why he was there. "Duck, you got something?"

"Derek Moen was poisoned," Ducky revealed. "There is nothing to suggest that your fight contributed to his death."

Abby already had the clicker in hand and brought everyone's attention to the plasma near Gibbs' desk. "Blood tests showed several different agents," she said, displaying a graph on the screen. "The highest level was that of lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as…"

"LSD," Gibbs finished for her. "A hallucinogen. That's why he went crazy."

"There was enough in his system to be measured in milligrams," Abby continued. "And there's more. Cyanide, which starves the body's cells of oxygen, so that's why he said he couldn't breathe. There were also traces of strychnine, metropolol, and other drugs that are designed to alter the function of major organs in the body."

"How?"

"The Chinese food we ordered was laced with it."

"All of it?" he asked, thinking of how close Abby may have come to being poisoned.

"Every carton," she answered and everyone turned as DiNozzo choked and started coughing. He, too, had come close to eating some of the noodles before Gibbs had stopped him.

"McGee…" Gibbs barked.

"Checking for surveillance cameras to identify the delivery person," he responded and scurried behind his desk.

"Tony and Ziva…" Gibbs commanded.

"We are on our way to the restaurant," Ziva replied, shoving past Tony who still looked a little bewildered.

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><p>To be continued…<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and for sticking with me on this story. I never expected it to take me this long to write.

* * *

><p>Gibbs looked up from his desk when he heard the elevator ding and Agents DiNozzo and David walked out, escorting a young man towards the interrogation rooms. When they joined him in the bullpen, he noticed that Tony's shirt was untucked and torn in the front.<p>

"We brought in the kid who makes deliveries," Tony reported bitterly as he slung his backpack to the floor behind his desk. His name's Kurt Lavey."

Sitting in her chair, Ziva began a background check on their suspect as she explained, "We had to chase him down. He is definitely hiding something."

Gibbs looked from Ziva back to Tony who was changing his shirt. "We got names of all the restaurant employees," DiNozzo continued as he pulled a clean shirt from his drawer. "The manager was reluctant to give us a list. He's afraid we're gonna have immigration breathing down his neck."

Ziva stood and used the clicker to display a criminal record for Lavey on the wide screen near Gibbs' desk. His mug shot made him look like a bearded vagrant. "Eighteen months ago he was sentenced to three years for possession and selling drugs," Ziva read from the file. "He was released just ten days ago for good behavior, so he served only half of his sentence."

"Ten days out of the joint and he's already going after Moen," Tony added. "I bet they have an unfriendly history."

"Did you find any drugs on him?" Gibbs asked.

"He was clean," Tony answered, buttoning up his shirt. "He was working, out making deliveries."

Gibbs grabbed a folder off his desk and tucked it under his arm. "Keep digging and find his connection to Moen." Heading for interrogation, he wondered about everything Agent Derek Moen had been up to including cyber-stalking and quite possibly drug dealing. When Gibbs entered the small room, he paused briefly as he got his first real look at Kurt Lavey. He was clean shaven, thin, and looked young enough to be in high school. Even though Lavey's record showed that he was actually 23, Gibbs wondered how the kid had survived eighteen months of incarceration.

"Hey, man, what's this all about?" Lavey demanded as Gibbs settled into the chair on the opposite side of the table. "What kind of bullshit do ya think you can pin on me now? I gots a job to get back to. My boss ain't gonna like it when he finds out the feds yanked me off my route. You gonna get me fired, man, and I need thet job. All I knows is you gots the wrong dude, man."

Once Lavey stopped long enough to take a breath, Gibbs pulled a photo of Derek Moen from the file and slid it across the table. "You know him?"

Lavey glanced at the picture then pushed it back towards Gibbs. "Hell no."

Leaning forward, Gibbs slid the photo in front of the kid again. "You sure?"

Lavey crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at the picture again. "I don't know the man. Who is he?"

"Special Agent Derek Moen."

"He a cop?"

Gibbs nodded. "You made a delivery to his apartment last night a little after ten. Now you remember?"

"Nope." The kid dropped his hands to the top of the table and started picking at his fingernails.

"Fourth floor apartment on Kaysee Street."

"Thet's a nice neighborhood, man. Wished I had delivered there. Those people give good tips."

"Were you working last night?"

Lavey sat back in his chair and let his hands fall to his sides. "I work every night, man. Is a good job."

"How late did you work last night?"

"Midnight."

"Who else would have made the delivery if you didn't?"

"No one, man. I'm the only one thet makes 'livries."

Gibbs put the photo of Moen back in the folder and closed it, taking his time before going with a different line of questioning. "You still dealing drugs, Kurt?"

"Hey, whoa, man…" Lavey quickly responded and raised his hands into the air.

"What are we going to find when we search your apartment?" Gibbs continued.

"Nothin'. I don't do thet no more."

Gibbs sat back and threw a light smirk at the kid. "Why don't I believe you?"

"I ain't goin' back to no prison," Lavey practically shouted. "You find somethin' in my place it's coz you put it there."

Gibbs shot forward in his seat and leaned across the table. "You and Derek Moen been working together selling and moving drugs," he growled. "Moen lines up the buyers and you make the deliveries while you're out on your job. We've got a list of Derek's contacts, all we have to do is match up your deliveries ." All of this was pure speculation, but Gibbs wanted to get the kid talking, wanted to get him rattled.

Lavey's brown eyes widened as he stared into Gibbs' angry face before he looked down at the table. "I'm done with prison, man," he said softly. "I gots me a good job now and I don't know no Moen dude."

Gibbs sat back and saw that the kid was frightened. "I want to believe you, Kurt, but last night Moen got a food delivery from the restaurant where you work and you say you're the only delivery person."

Once again Lavey started picking at his fingernails out of nervousness. "What was thet address again?"

"The Wildwood Apartments on Kaysee Street."

"Oh, yeah, yeah," the kid responded happily. "Now I remember. Fourth floor, right?" Gibbs nodded. "Big bag full of food cartons. They's must of have been havin' a party, coz the place was jumpin'. The guy at the door was real friendly. Gave me a ten dollar tip."

Once again Gibbs took out the photo of Moen. "This guy?"

Lavey shook his head. "No, some other dude."

Gibbs knew he was lying. "The food you delivered was all laced with poison and this guy," he said, pointing at the photo of Moen, "is dead." Standing up, Gibbs headed for the door. "We're charging you with murder, Kurt."

"Wait, wait," Lavey shouted and jumped out of his chair. "I didn't put no poison in no food. It wasn't me, man!"

Gibbs turned and faced him with an angry look. "Sit down!" he commanded and moved to stand on the opposite side of the table. "Tell me what happened last night, and I want the truth this time!"

Lavey sat and held his head in his hands, rocking it back and forth. "Oh, man," he groaned. "I'm gonna get fired."

Gibbs was quickly losing patience and couldn't believe the kid was weighing being fired against being sent back to prison.

"I was real busy last night," Lavey began as he looked up at Gibbs. "Some nights are like thet and if I don't deliver within thirty minutes, they get the food free and the manager takes it out of my pay."

Gibbs stared unresponsive at the 'poor me' face that Lavey was giving him.

"So when I saw the 'livery all the way uptown on Kaysee Street, I knew I was screwed. I knew I couldn't make it in thirty minutes and it was a big order, man. Lots o' money. But then it's like this angel suddenly came to my rescue. She said she was headed that way and would drop the order off. I figured what the hell, why not? I gives her the food, she gives me a hundred dollar bill and thet's thet."

Gibbs ran a hand over his mouth and gave a long sigh. "That the best you can do?"

"It's the truth, man," Lavey insisted.

"What did this woman look like?"

"Oh, she was like an angel," Lavey answered with a dreamy expression. "Long golden hair, white shirt, and there was this golden glow above her head."

Gibbs once again headed for the door. "You better hope your angel shows up to save you this time, too."

Outside of interrogation, in the hallway, Gibbs ran into Tony. "Should I put out a BOLO for an angel, boss?"

Together they walked back to the bullpen. "You find the connection between Lavey and Moen yet?"

"There's nothing," DiNozzo answered. "Maybe Lavey chose him at random."

"Why would he want to poison someone at random?"

"Sounds like he was high and probably thought it would be fun," Tony thought out loud. "I mean, he did see a glowing angel, boss."

Gibbs had just sat down behind his desk when his phone rang and Abby stated she had something for them. With Tony and Ziva, he headed for the lab.

"Whatcha got, Abbs?" Gibbs asked as soon as they entered and went to stand beside her. Tony made another mental note when he saw Gibbs place his hand on her lower back and Abby give him a quick smile.

"You'll want to watch this on the plasma," she told him softly as she cued up a video. "This is the surveillance tape that McGee got from Derek's apartment."

"It's a high grade recording, boss," his young agent explained, "but the locations of all the cameras are in dark corners. At night it's hard to make out what's actually going on."

"But with my video enhancement program," Abby interjected, "I've been tweaking the images around the time of the food delivery and this is what we have."

The vantage point of the video was from a camera at the end of the hall where Moen's apartment was on the fourth floor. It was only a couple seconds after the point where Abby started the video that someone dressed in a very dark outfit and carrying a bag in their right hand, walked down the hall, knocked on Moen's door and stood with their back to the camera. A couple minutes passed as the figure waited and glanced over their shoulder several times. Finally Moen's door opened and the agents saw Derek take the bag then hand money to the delivery person. When Moen closed his door, the figure turned and even though they were now facing the camera, it was too dark to make out the face. Plus, the person wore a baseball cap low over their eyes.

However, just before the figure stepped out of view of the camera, a different apartment door opened, flooding the narrow hallway with light as a couple of teenage kids were jostling and shoving one another out of the apartment. One kid fell into the delivery person, knocking them both to the floor and causing the baseball cap to fall off. Long hair that had been tucked up under the hat fell loosely to the shoulders as the kid jumped up first and held out a hand to help the stranger up. The second teenager grabbed the cap off the floor and handed it back then the kids moved off down the hall and out of sight. The delivery person threw her head back to gather her hair behind her head and replace it under the cap. It was as she tossed her head back that she looked directly up into the camera. It was a quick and brief look at her face, but Abby froze the image as everyone looked on in astonishment.

"She must have come back," Tony stated first.

"She never left," Gibbs growled and headed for the door.

"Wait, Gibbs!" Abby called after him. When he stopped and turned, she continued, "Don't you want to know where she's staying?"

Gibbs glared at his three agents. "She's still in DC?"

"You'll find her here," Abby replied as she approached him then slapped a sticky note to the front of his jacket.

* * *

><p>To be continued…<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

This is the last chapter. Hope you enjoy the ending.

* * *

><p>At a motel out on Route 16, Gibbs and his team drew their guns and approached room number four on the ground level. But before they could knock, the door opened and Donna Packard walked out with a small satchel in her hand. Her face did not show any surprise.<p>

"Drop the bag, step out here and get down on your knees," Ziva instructed.

"Knees," Packard mumbled as she complied.

"You can stop the act," Ziva responded and handcuffed her behind her back. "You are under arrest for the murder of Special Agent Derek Moen."

Three hours later, Gibbs entered the interrogation room at NCIS Headquarters to get some answers from Donna Packard. He and his team had just finished processing the motel room where she had stayed for the past week. In a dumpster near the motel, they had found a blond wig. Inside her room, were numerous bottles and bags of illegal drugs along with over-the-counter medications. The motel manager had told them that Packard did not appear mentally handicapped when he talked with her on two separate occasions.

This time when Gibbs sat across the table from Packard, she was clean and well dressed. Only to himself did he acknowledge that she had done a good job with the act she had put on the last time he had seen her. Looking into her cold gray eyes, he asked his first question, "How did you know Derek Moen?"

"That bastard was responsible for my brother getting killed," she spat out, suddenly angry.

Gibbs hesitated a few seconds and saw a icy look slide across her face and cloud her eyes. "I killed your brother in self-defense when he attacked me," he told her. "Derek Moen wasn't there because Scotty had broken his arm."

Packard narrowed her eyes, giving Gibbs a death glare. "He's always been there," she ground out, "ever since high school. Taunting Scotty, instead of helping him. He turned his back on Scotty a long time ago, when he could have helped him."

"They were friends in high school?" Gibbs asked, but Packard only gritted her teeth and looked away without answering. "We know you killed Agent Moen by lacing his food with poison and drugs," he informed her.

Packard shrugged her shoulder. "Whatever," she mumbled. "I'm just glad he's dead."

Gibbs stood up and looked down at the woman. "The food you poisoned wasn't just for Moen. One of our own people was with him that evening." When Packard didn't even look up, he could see that information was of no concern to her. She probably wouldn't have cared if the food had been ingested by a whole team of federal agents.

Without another word, Gibbs left the room, meeting Ziva out in the hall. "Lavey identified her as the woman who gave him the money and took the food to deliver," she said. "Tony is getting his written statement."

Gibbs nodded and was relieved that the case could finally be wrapped up. Actually, it was two cases that they were bringing to a close, since the evidence on Moen's computer definitely identified him as the cyber-stalker. And Abby had pulled numerous emails tying Moen to Jessup Grayson, a kingpin in the drug trade along the east coast. No doubt Moen had been getting ready to leave his life as a special agent and go underground with Grayson. Gibbs was sure in his mind that Moen had been planning on taking Abby with him. It was yet another way he had come close to losing her during this case.

Returning to the bullpen, he knew his team would be up until dawn if he had them write up their reports now. So before he sat behind his desk, he told them to go home and get some sleep; the reports could wait a few more hours. They didn't need to be told twice as they shut off their computers and grabbed their bags.

Once Gibbs was alone, his mind wandered to thinking of Abby. They had started a relationship in the midst of two crazy, twisted cases, and he wondered how things would progress between them now. The last few weeks hadn't been easy for either of them and in the midst of all the turmoil, they had sought one another for comfort and escape. There had been little time for them to actually talk about where they were headed and what they each wanted.

Gibbs knew he wanted more to his relationship with Abby than just a physical one. He was ready to make a long standing commitment to her, but he didn't know if she felt the same way. They needed to talk and he needed to tell her how he felt.

Flicking his desk lamp off, he decided to leave his report until later, also, and he headed for the lab. He knew Abby was still working on logging the evidence found on Moen's computers.

As Gibbs neared the lab, Abby's ear-splitting music bounced off the walls and filled his head. He stepped inside her door unnoticed and his eyes immediately fell to the floor where she was on her hands and knees under a table, the red panties covering her backside staring him in the face. With a little grin, Gibbs tilted his head and felt his pulse rate increase. He was extremely thankful that now he didn't have to look away or interrupt her. Now he could take a leisurely enjoyable look and think of what he'd like to do with her in private. Except that the deafening music was making it impossible to think. Stepping over to the stereo, he pushed the off button and Abby swung her head around.

"Gibbs!" she complained. "I need that music on so I don't fall alseep."

"Your skirt's a little short for you to be crawling around like that, Abbs. What if I had been the director?"

Scooting out from under the table, she straightened up onto her knees. "Director Vance went home a while ago."

Putting out a hand, Gibbs helped her to her feet. "What were you doing down there?"

"Untangling the cables. I'm packing everything up and handing it over to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Orders from Director Vance."

Gibbs wound his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "You gonna be long?" he asked, looking over her shoulder to the table of equipment she was packing into boxes.

"Half hour," she said, spreading soft kisses along his jaw. "You headed home to get some sleep?"

Gibbs closed his eyes and let her beautiful scent wash over him. His fingertips smoothed back and forth across her lower back. "Was wondering how you'd feel about a relaxing bath after you're finished here?"

Abby's mouth fell to his neck and she smiled against his warm skin. "Mmmm, I like the sound of that, Special Agent Gibbs. Your place then?"

"I'll wait for you," Gibbs stated and pulled back, dropping a kiss to her lips.

Abby pulled him into a deeper kiss for several long seconds. "You're going to distract me," she breathed heavily. "You go on ahead and get it ready."

Gibbs nodded and grinned. "I can do that."

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo licked the tips of his fingers after polishing off the last slice of a large pizza he had picked up on his way home. It has been too many hours since his last meal and even longer since the last time he had slept. But crawling into his own bed and actually falling asleep was going to be a problem. The apartment above his was under renovation and the construction workers liked to start at 0500 hours. Looking at his watch, Tony saw he only had an hour of peace and quiet left before the hammering and scraping and power sawing would start. If he crawled into bed now, he would just be drifting into a deep sleep when the noise started.

Grabbing his bag, he headed out the door feeling relatively assured that he could find other accommodations at his boss' house. He hadn't actually asked Gibbs if he could crash on his couch, but he hadn't expected to be going to bed at this time of the morning. Lately, he had been using the arrival of the construction workers as his alarm clock to get up for work. Besides, he knew it was highly probable that Gibbs wouldn't even go home for sleep, so he would have the house to himself.

Not finding a parking spot in front of Gibbs' house, Tony parked two blocks away, and before going inside, he noted Gibbs' pickup truck parked in the driveway. As usual, the front door was unlocked and Tony walked into a very quiet atmosphere. Walking through the kitchen, he opened the basement door and could see that the room was dark and he didn't hear any noises that might indicate that Gibbs was working down there.

Returning to the living room entrance, he stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. At the moment, he couldn't hear anything and he figured Gibbs was already in bed, sleeping. In which case, Tony reasoned it would be no big deal to help himself to the couch.

But as Tony turned away from the stairs, he heard a muted clanking noise from above and decided he better go up and ask Gibbs for permission to stay. Taking the steps two at a time, he found the door to one of the rooms slightly open and he peeked inside. A flowery fragrance wafted into his nose and he wondered what heck his boss was up to. Once again he heard the clanking noise and it was definitely coming from a room adjoined to the bedroom he was looking into.

Pushing the door open a bit wider, Tony stepped into the bedroom at the same time he called, "Boss, you in here?" Another door to his right was open half way.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs responded from the ensuite bathroom.

Three steps and Tony was looking at his boss sitting on the edge of the tub with lit candles flickering all around him. Water was streaming into the tub that was already covered in heavy white soap bubbles. "What the hell?" Tony asked with surprised confusion.

Immediately, Gibbs was on his feet and pushing his agent backwards. "You better have a damn good reason for being here," he demanded in a low growl.

Tony realized he had interrupted something and felt nervous, even a little bit scared. "Hey, no big deal," he responded, holding up his hands as he stepped back towards the bedroom door. "I had no idea... I mean, who would. Not that it's a problem. You're a mean tough agent, boss, and if you wanna take a bubble bath, then more power to ya." The glare from Gibbs had Tony almost withering in his shoes and he continued to stammer, "I'm... going to go now. I was never here, and... I didn't see anything."

Tony had just turned towards the door when Gibbs commanded, "Stop!" His foot froze in mid-stride. "This isn't what you're thinking," he continued and hastened back to the bathroom to shut off the water. When he returned, Tony was looking nervously at his escape route. "I'm expecting company, DiNozzo," Gibbs told him.

If Tony could have, he would have head slapped himself several times. "I knew that, boss," he said, embarrassed. "Of course I didn't think the bubble bath was for you," he tried to joke. "Didn't know you were seeing someone... not that you usually tell me." He glanced towards the doorway. "I'm going."

But once again his stride froze in mid-step as Abby came through the door, smiling and saying, "Where's my loverboy?" Her blouse was pulled loose, unbuttoned, with her hair falling in long thick waves upon her shoulders.

In an instant, Tony's eyes widened, Abby squealed and pulled her blouse together, and Gibbs mumbled, "Ah, crap."

Quickly, Abby moved to stand behind Gibbs, peeking over his shoulder at their visitor. "What's he doing here?" she whispered.

"What the hell?" was all Tony could come up with once again.

Gibbs reached behind his back to grab Abby's hand and hold it tightly. "We've been seeing one another," he confirmed.

Tony's voice and eyebrows rose in surprise. "How long?"

"A few weeks."

"Is it serious or are you just..." Tony started.

Gibbs cut him off. "Damn right it's serious. Abby has been the only one for me for a long time. I just never thought she would be interested."

Tony didn't speak as Abby moved around to stand in front of Gibbs. Her green eyes searching his blue ones. "You mean that?" she asked softly. "You're in this for the long haul?"

Lifting a hand, Gibbs cupped her cheek and dropped his voice. "As long as you'll have me, Abbs. Does that scare you?"

Her arms lifted and wrapped around his neck as she shook her head. "No, Jethro. I'm yours, too, as long as you'll have me," she whispered.

Leaning forward, Gibbs nuzzled his nose along the side of hers. "I wanna make this work between us," he responded in a soft husky voice.

"Me, too. You're all I've ever wanted, Gibbs," she mumbled against his lips.

Tony could see where things were leading and cleared his throat. "Alright... well, that answers all of my questions."

Abby turned and smiled at their friend. "Don't say anything to the others, okay, Tony? We'll tell them ourselves."

With an imaginary key, Tony locked his lips, smiled, and left the room.

Abby turned to face Gibbs once again. "You okay with telling the others about us?"

His arms wrapped around her middle. "Kinda wanted it to be just you and me a little while longer."

"I know, me, too."

"That's okay, though. We won't have to sneak around anymore then."

Abby gave a teasing grin. "I rather liked sneaking around."

"We don't have to tell the others right away," Gibbs offered. "I'd like to see how long DiNozzo can keep his mouth shut."

"It would drive Tony insane," she grinned. "But it would be fun."

"We'll give him a week."

Abby giggled and pressed her lips to his. "A week... maybe two."

The End.

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><p>Thank you to everyone for your very kind reviews, alerts, and favorites. I've got more stories in the works which I hope you'll enjoy.<p> 


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